


Moon-Crossed

by totemwolfie



Series: Werewolves of Aris [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alpha/Omega, Blood, Blood and Gore, Blow Jobs, Fantasy, Gay Sex, Hand Jobs, Horror, Kissing, M/M, Monsters, Mutual Pining, Nerds in Love, Otherworld, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Romance, Sex, Shapeshifters - Freeform, Slow Burn, Smut, Social Anxiety, Trauma, Violence, Voltron, Voltron au, Werewolf, Werewolves, voltron au werewolf
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-04
Updated: 2018-08-17
Packaged: 2019-05-01 21:31:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 101,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14529612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/totemwolfie/pseuds/totemwolfie
Summary: Keith is a lone wolf, which has suited him perfectly well for the last three years.  But the fate has other ideas.





	1. Predators

**Author's Note:**

> I've been itching to write some Voltron fanfic, and thought well, why not werewolves? Currently I have no idea how long this will be or how many chapters. Right now I'm winging it! Thanks for reading xoxo

Keith woke with a sudden start. Sweat gleamed on his skin and his chest rose and fell rapidly. He raised one trembling hand and pushed his fingers through his bangs, which were plastered to his forehead. He lay quiet, the soft hum of the box fan in the corner the only other sound in the small bedroom.

Keith exhaled and slowly sat up. He pushed off the blankets and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He didn’t stand right away, just sat still with his bare toes touching the wood floor. At the head of his bed was a window, and even though the curtains were heavy and pulled closed, the sunlight was still shining through the fabric.

Saturday. It was Saturday, and when Keith checked the time on his cell phone saw that it was only eighty-thirty in the morning. He knew he should sleep for another couple hours, he had worked late last night, but after that nightmare...

With a quiet sigh Keith finally stood. He stretched until his spine popped, then crossed the small bedroom. First he tugged on the tank top he’d tossed off last night, turned off the fan, and left the room.

His first stop was the bathroom and when done, the kitchen to start the coffee. He swore his blood was 60% coffee, he couldn’t survive without it; he wouldn’t dream of leaving his apartment without having a couple cups first.

As the coffee brewed Keith went around his apartment, opening curtains to let in the sun and windows to let in the morning air before the afternoon heat set it. The sound of traffic from the busy street below filled his apartment along with all the smells that clung to a city the size of Aris.

He was just walking into the kitchen, hearing that the coffee maker was now quiet, when there was a knock at his door.

Keith bristled in irritation as he crossed to the door. Before opening it the smell of magic, peppery and heavy, tickled his nose. He sighed and swung the door open.

“Do you know what time it is?” Keith asked.

“I brought bagels,” answered the girl as she looked up at him. Her brown hair was messy around her head and she wore glasses that were too big for her face. She was pale and freckled, and wearing Pokémon pajamas.

Keith blinked at the bag of bagels and container of cream cheese, clearly straight from the refrigerator. “Seriously, Pidge?”

“I’m out of coffee and I can smell yours.”

Keith sighed loudly and stepped aside, letting the girl into his apartment. “Sometimes I wonder if your sense of smell is better than mine.”

She walked barefoot to the kitchen and made herself at home. She poured them both coffee and set the bagels and cream cheese on the island before hopping onto one of the kitchen stools.

“Only when it comes to coffee,” she said matter-of-factly.

Keith smirked and took the other seat. “Uh-huh.”

“You okay?” Pidge asked after toasting her bagel and slathering it in far too much cream cheese.

Keith had just taken a bite out of his, answered with a muffled, “What?”

Pidge motioned at Keith with her coffee cup. “You smell sweaty.”

He swallow hard while glaring at her. “So what? Maybe I worked out this morning.”

“No, this is nervous or sick sweats,” she pointed out.

“It’s none of your business.”

“Was it another nightmare?” She pressed on, “I know you have them. I’ve heard you scream from across the hall.”

Keith felt his face reddened. He looked at the calendar that hung in the kitchen. Saturday was marked by a thick black circle. Specifically the ‘full moon’ reminder in fine print that all calendars seemed to have.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said.

Pidge was quiet for just a few minutes, the two of them eating and drinking their coffee, before Pidge finally said, “I know you probably don’t want to hear that, but—“

“Then how about not saying it?” Keith interrupted.

“But I think you need someone,” she said anyway, “another werewolf.”

Keith huffed and stood, choosing to ignore her. He cleaned out the coffee pot, disposed of the grounds, and cleaned up the plates and silverware used for their breakfast. This wasn’t the first time the two of them had had this conversation. Every month when the full moon was on the horizon it came up.

"I'm fine," he finally answered. "Thanks for the bagels."

Pidge, knowing she was being told to leave, sighed. "Yeah. See you later."

Keith waited until he heard the door close before he turned away from the sink. He didn't need anyone else. Keith had been a werewolf for the last three years and for the last three years he'd been on his own. He'd been courted by werewolf packs before, but none of them felt right, and he knew that joining a wolf pack was a big commitment. Some bigger than others. The last thing Keith needed was to join a pack that ended up being abusive or controlling, and then not being able to get out of it.

He shifted around the dishes in the sink, knowing he should wash them, but he didn't feel very inspired at the moment. Instead he went to his bedroom, pulled his sweatpants, socks, and sneakers, and left the apartment. A run, that's all he needed, a good run. The moon was that night and his blood was starting to heat up and his skin itch. His body knew what was going to happen that night, and the wolf inside him was starting to wake up and stir. Maybe if he worked off some energy he'd feel better.

Doubtful, but exercise was exercise.

The park Keith frequented was just across the street from his apartment. It was small and poorly taken care of, but during the day it was always filled with the laughter of children and people jogging or walking their dogs. Keith liked the park because it was small, by werewolf standards, which meant he was the only one that frequented it. It had a long walking trail, tall trees, a small pond that was always filled with ducks, a playground and was surrounded by a tall cast-iron fence that had been long over-grown. With the fence and the trees the park was very private, another reason why Keith liked it. When he was a wolf, he could be here all night and not see another soul and no one would see him.

Right now he wasn't a wolf though, and it was very early in the morning. The only other people here was a pretzel vendor on the corner just outside the park and a couple other joggers. Keith couldn't see them, but he could smell them. They were familiar scents, people he had seen many times before, probably nodded a greeting to, but he'd never talked to them. He didn't need to know them and it was safer that they didn't know him.

After taking a few minutes to stretch, Keith broke into a run. He ran until he was sweaty, until the sun was higher in the sky, until his legs were burning. But he still felt... itchy. Like his skin was too tight, like there was something moving just inside bones. And, Keith supposed, there was. There was a monster inside him and tonight it would come out.

Finally he stopped running. He shook out his sweaty hair, which had long come out of it's ponytail and was hanging wet around his neck, and stretched one final time before leaving the park. The bagel he had had earlier had definitely not sated his appetite. He needed to take in a lot of food to keep his werewolf body going. It took an insane amount of calories to keep a wolf satisfied during the full moon, which was why a lot of werewolves snapped after they changed and went on a murder spree, their desire to eat more powerful than their sense of self. Keith swallowed hard. He would not go through that again.

He had shoved a couple bills in his sock before jogging and he pulled it out now. He mulled over his cash as he walked to the corner store. What did he have at home? Some raw potatoes, frozen vegetables in the freezer, various noodles in the pantry, some wheat bread, cheese, frozen chicken...

When he reached the store there was a huge sign hanging in the window: "STEAK SALE! TODAY ONLY!"

"Hm," Keith hummed. He could go for a good steak. _The bloodier, the better,_ the wolf inside him echoed.

When he stepped into the store he immediately noticed two things. One, that he owed Pidge an apology and what better way to do than with a steak (also, she had a mini grill on her balcony and he wanted to use it,) and two, there was another werewolf in here. He stiffened, the fine hairs on the back of his neck standing up on edge as he casually grabbed a shopping basket and stepped down the closest aisle. 

To make matters worse, it was a scent he knew, and it wasn't someone he wanted to see. He could have turned and left the store, but Keith was never one to run with his tail between his legs. Instead he worked his way around the small store, stopping to pick out some fresh produce and brownies that would Pidge would like, before turning to the meat counter--

A strong shoulder caught him, knocking him off balance. For a second he stumbled, nearly dropping the shopping basket. Strong hands fumbled, grabbing him by the arm.

"Shit, I'm sorry--"

Keith righted himself, face red with embarrassment, and ready to give the stranger a piece of his mind when he forgot what he was thinking. The man, letting him go and stepping back was-- "Uhm," Keith stammered, "no, it's okay. Shit happens."

The man was tall, taller than Keith by far, with wide shoulders, strong arms, a square jaw and well, everything about him seemed like a sharp angle. He had black hair that was buzzed in the back, and unusual bangs that were a shock of white. He may have seemed intimidating, wearing dark jeans and a t-shirt that looked too small, or maybe it was just that this guy was so well built that the shirt looked small, Keith couldn't decide. All he knew that there were alarms going off in his head and a warmth spreading throughout him. He felt his face redden for an entirely different reason.

"Have a good day," the man said with a warm smile before he turned away.

Keith knew he shouldn't, but he watched the man walk away, until it seemed obvious that he was staring. He turned quickly on his heel, his brain momentarily scrambled, before giving it a shake. _Pull it together!_ he thought loudly to himself.

He stomped to the meat counter, pointing out two. Once the steaks were wrapped he placed them in his basket. There was still another werewolf in here, the scent was always just so, which meant either they were avoiding each other or--he was being stalked.

Keith stopped halfway down the canned food aisle. He was so close to the register, to the door, to being on his way home, but now he was getting pissed off. He stood and waited, turning just slightly when he saw someone approaching him.

"Tired of our little game?" taunted a deep, growly voice.

Keith bristled. Sendak was big and strong, but that was about it. He was a bully through-and-through, a packless alpha wolf who revelled in fighting and torturing others. He'd been taunting Keith since he'd been a new werewolf. Keith had been afraid of him then, now he knew better. But he wasn't stupid enough to not be on guard every time the werewolf was around. Sendak was a vicious killer and Keith wasn't stupid enough to underestimate him.

"This isn't a game, it's grocery shopping," Keith snapped. "Stop following me."

"Maybe tonight I'll leave my kill at your doorstep," the big man mused with a sneer. He had a dark tan and shaved head. He was dressed like a biker, but Keith didn't think Sendak actually had a bike. Last time he checked the man was homeless, and just stayed in the homes of packs he was currently assaulting.

"Do it and I'll finish what I started with your eye," Keith threatened with a low growl.

Sendak bared his teeth. There was a thick scar over his left eye and the vision there had never fully recovered. Even as a wolf his face was scarred and vision off. He stood over the smaller man. "Let's see you try it, you little fu--"

"Excuse me," rumbled a deep, authoritative voice. "Everything okay here?"

Keith snapped back to reality and realized with a shock that it was the guy he had ran into earlier. And another shock was that standing next to Sendak, they were pretty evenly sized. But while Sendak gave off nothing but dangerous vibes, this guy seemed... approachable. 

"Mind your own business," Sendak snapped at the stranger.

Keith stepped forward and elbowed his way past Sendak. "We're done here, Sendak--" and he grabbed the stranger by the arm, jerking him along. Only when they reached the end of the alse did Keith see Sendak stomping out of the store. He let the stranger go and whirled around at him. "You should mind your own business."

The man's face flushed. "Oh--" he said. "I thought you needed help."

"You thought wrong," Keith snapped.

"You sure? I've seen that guy before, he's nothing but trouble. If he's bothering you--"

"He's always bothering me," Keith said with a sigh. "But it's nothing I can't handle."

"I'm starting to see that," the man said with a warm grin. "Uh, I'm Shiro."

The introduction took Keith a bit by surprise. He blinked before answering, "I'm Keith."

"It's nice to meet you," Shiro said. 

_Is it?_ Keith wondered. "Well, um, Shiro," Keith found it unsettling how good it felt to say the man's name, "I should go. And you should--watch yourself on your way home. Sendak is dangerous. I'm not just saying that."

"I'm aware," Shiro said. "I was going to tell you the same thing."

Was it possible this guy knew about werewolves? Keith tilted his head, staring up at Shiro. No, on second thought, Keith didn't think so. If he did, he would have known to stay out of their confrontation. No human was stupid enough to get between two werewolves. "I can take care of myself," Keith reassured him. 

Shiro's mouth quirked into a smile. "I believe you."

A rush of warmth spread through Keith again and he swallowed hard. Without another word he turned, heading toward the check-out counter. Quickly he paid for his items, sacked them, and headed out the door without looking back. But he could feel eyes watching him, and he didn't know if they were from Shiro or Sendak. He wouldn't look back, but he also wouldn't run.

When dealing with predators you never looked back, and you never ran.


	2. Prey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long. I've been pretty dead, creatively, and have been struggling. 
> 
> Thank you as always for your support! xoxo

When Pidge opened the door she was still in her Pokemon pajamas and her hair was still a mess. 

“It’s midday,” Keith said with a smirk.

“So?” Pidge asked.

“Uh, I brought food?”

She quirked an eyebrow at him. “So?”

“To um, apologize?”

“Are you?”

“Yes?”

“Keith!”

“Pidge.”

“Fuck,” she sighed as she stepped to the side. 

Her apartment was similar to his in size and shape only. While his was mostly empty and kept tidy enough, hers was cluttered with everything from comic books and manga too computers and their parts and gaming systems. The walls were covered in colorful posters and photographs of family and friends. Her furniture was well used and covered in blankets and silly, colorful pillows. Most distinctive though was the smell. That heavy, peppery scent of shapeshifter clung to everything like a second layer. The first time Keith had been here he had sneezed almost non stop and ended up with a migraine. Now it didn’t even bother him.

“What did you bring?” she asked.

“Steaks,” he said as he held up the grocery bag.

Her eyes narrowed. “I’m buying you a grill for Christmas.”

“But we’d lose out on all these precious moments,” he teased.

“You’re impossible,” she sighed. “You know where it is.”

“Oh, and,” Keith said as he fished out the freshly baked brownies, “these.”

“Mm!” She hummed happily. “I guess I forgive you this time.”

A short time later she joined Keith out on the balcony. She had changed from her Pokemon pajamas to jean shorts and a Atari t-shirt. Pidge perched on the railing and watched Keith as he grilled the food. Other than two steaks there was asparagus and onion.

“You smell again,” she said as she adjusted her glasses. 

This time Keith knew what she smelled. “I ran into Sendak,” he confirmed.

“If he’s lurking around then you’ll need to be extra vigilant tonight,” she warned. At the thought of the big werewolf Pidge tensed. As a shapeshifter she didn’t spend a lot of time around werewolves, in fact, Keith was the only werewolf she really knew and liked. But she had seen Sendak before, she knew what he could do, what he had done.

Keith glanced at her. “You want to watch my back?”

“Absolutely not,” Pidge said. She wouldn’t be stepping a toe outside tonight. “Besides, it’s game night.”

Keith rolled his eyes dramatically. “How could I forget?”

“I’d invite you, but you suck.”

He was tempted to push her but that may result in her falling off the balcony railing. “I do not suck. You’re just obsessive.”

“The word you’re looking for is gifted,” Pidge said with a grin. The sun was bright and warm and if her balcony was any larger she would have suggested they eat here instead of inside. “Besides, Lance will be here.”

Keith muttered something under his breath. Pidge had a lot of gaming buddies, but her top two friends were Hunk and Lance. Hunk, Keith liked well enough. He was cheerful and honest. Lance on the other hand.

“Yeah, I’ll take my chances with Sendak.”

Pidge hopped off the railing. The food was done and Keith was placing it all on one plate before bringing it inside. She didn’t have a dining table so she cleared off the coffee table. After dividing up the food and grabbing two cans of soda from the refrigerator the two sat down to eat. 

Afterwards Keith stayed around to watch anime with Pidge as she prattled on and on about the characters, art, and future storylines and theories. Keith listened intently, lying on the floor in front of the television while Pidge sat on the coffee table. Only when it was close to game time did Keith get up and leave, going back to pace around his apartment.

His skin was starting to itch now and it took a lot of willpower to not scratch until he was bleeding. He tried everything to relax: meditating, yoga, even jogging in place and doing some cardio. But he still felt...anxious. Too anxious.

He could have bypassed all this and shapeshift now, however, one downfall to being a lone wolf was not learning things as fast as werewolves in a pack, which meant that while Keith could change without the assistance of the full moon, he needed a great rush of adrenaline to do so. The only times he’d managed to completely turn from man to wolf was when he was attacked, once by Sendak and once by a pack that he had pissed off. 

When the moonrise was on the horizon Keith grabbed his old backpack and headed out the door. It wasn’t completely dark yet, the sky was just growing grey and heavy with clouds. When Keith entered the park his sensitive ears picked the sound of wildlife and a couple people who were still jogging along the park path.

Keith headed away from them. There were a few places in this park that were completely secluded. One of these particular places Keith had scouted out months ago. It was the perfect spot for his monthly transformation.

He crawled into the bramble of tree roots and brush. Inside the little cave, which he had cleaned out, he dropped his backpack and then started to strip off his clothing.

Keith learned the hard way that if you changed with your clothing, jewelry, or shoes on, they were going to fall off or rip to pieces. Keith didn’t want to replace anymore pairs of shoes, they cost way too much.

Then he knelt in the dirt. Out here, in the middle of nature, where the sound of the city traffic was drown out and it was only his breathing and the wind in the leaves, he finally felt himself start to relax. He took each breath slowly, felt the slow steady beat of his heart, he could hear the growing hum of music in his ears. It was the song of the moon, a low hum that vibrerated in his body, singing through his veins and weaving in and out of his skin. The sound grew louder, his heart started to pound, his skin sweat, and then--

The pain was incredible. Keith choked on a cry as pain ripped through him, as his body quite literally tore itself apart. His skin bled as fur pushed its way through, covering him. His legs broke as the bones, joints, and muscles turned to form the leg of a wolf. His arms grew longer and his hands into paws. The song of the moon was almost loud enough to block out the sound of his skull crunching and growing, his teeth sharpening and growing into wolf’s teeth. Blood filled his mouth and he sagged to the ground, body jerking and shaking as the change ripped through him.

Then, as quick as the pain started, it ended. A slender black wolf lay in the now bloody dirt. His side rose and fell quickly with every breath, until the wolf started to relax. He uncurled from where he had tucked himself together, and slowly stood. As a werewolf Keith was only slightly larger than a large, healthy arctic wolf. His ears were slightly larger than a normal wolf’s, his teeth longer and sharper and his eyes bright and wild. 

Keith huffed and shook out his fur. In this shape making his way out of the tree roots was easier, and he slipped through them gracefully. He stopped to sniff the air, making sure he was alone, before darting out of the shelter of trees. He stretched his legs before started to run, letting the power of the wolf surge through him.

Deep in his belly he felt the urge to hunt. He could hear and smell a variety of prey in the park; squirrels, rabbits, stray cats, foxes, a raccoon family, an opossum and even a deer that had somehow made it into the park despite the traffic and amount of humans in the area.

But Keith pushed that urge down. He wasn’t going to be hunting tonight. Instead he trotted out of the trees and into the moonlight. He closed his eyes, throwing his head back, and soaking in the light.

Keith couldn’t quite explain the feeling he felt when the moonlight combed through his black fur. It was cool and fresh, like a shower after a long day in the hot sun. It empowered him and relaxed him, and the song drifted through his ears…

And for the first time all day, Keith was able to relax.

He trotted through the park, sniffing here and there, marking trees and bushes with urine and scent. It wasn’t exactly necessary, no other werewolves came here, so he didn’t have to mark the territory as his own. And if, by chance, a pack came in there would be little to nothing Keith could to do stop them on his own from taking over the park.

But Keith wasn’t keeping this park just for himself. This was a safe place for Pidge, too.

He was just stopping to take a drink from the pond in the middle of the park when the coppery, sticky scent of blood reached his nose. Keith stiffened and straightened up, his ears perked and on alert. 

Keith started to walk through the park, his nose lifted to the wind. The smell heated his blood, almost even made him drool. Sure, Keith was pretty good at holding down his animal instincts, but when the scent was this heavy and close, the animal in him started to rise.

He left the safety of the park, darting across four lanes of traffic, ignoring car horns when they blared at him and the squeal of tires as a taxi swerved to avoid him. He slinked into the shadows, keeping his head down and himself tucked into darkness. His black fur seemed to soak in the darkness and soon only the glow of his eyes was visible in the right glint of light.

Keith followed the scent of blood to an alley just a block away from his apartment. He stayed close to the walls, picking his way around garbage and trash, careful to avoid anything that would make noise. The wind was on his side, carrying his scent away from whoever he was approaching.

The wolf slipped behind a dumpster. Ahead of him was a dead end and the source of the blood. He could hear the low rumbles of a wolf and the heavy breathing of prey.

He tensed, the hair on his back starting to stand up, because over the scent of blood he could smell the werewolf who was at the end of the alley. And of course, why wouldn’t it be him?

_Sendak_ , Keith growled. He stepped out from the dumpster. His wolf-speak was a form of telepathy, mixed with body language and scent. When the other wolf heard him, he snapped his head up.

He was holding a human arm in his mouth.

Keith bared his teeth. The scent of blood had lured him here, but now, seeing what damage Sendak had done, helped snap him back to reality. The large alpha werewolf was a dirty grey and brown in color, with a big ugly scar over his eye. Sendak dropped the arm he had been chewing on and sneered, showing all his bloody teeth.

_Have you come to dine with me?_ Asked the werewolf.

Keith growled, showing his teeth. He was about to tell Sendak that he couldn’t feed here, that he was going to draw the wrong kind of attention, that there would be police and then news reports about a deadly mauling by a large unknown predator and then there would be hunters but--

All that fell out of Keith’s head, because he realized with a stumble, that it was Shiro lying beneath the other werewolf.

He looked at the man sprawled out beneath the alpha wolf. He was twisted onto his stomach, his face pressed into the dirty concrete. He was bloody, his clothing ripped, and missing an arm. But Keith knew that face, even if they had only met for a few minute. And he cursed himself for not picking up on the scent earlier.

_Shiro…_ he gasped. Oh god, it was Shiro.

Sendak howled triumphantly. _I thought you’d like this gift. I did say I would leave my prey at your door._

Keith stared in horror as Shiro moaned in pain, only to have Sendak place a large paw on his back. The man didn’t wake, but his breathing was shallow and there was blood everywhere. Keith looked around, searching for someone, anyone, but they were truly alone here. The shock of the situation wiped his mind for a moment. What the fuck was he supposed to do now?

_Do you accept my gift?_ Sendak asked, his voice heavy with anticipation and sick humor.

Keith’s hackles raised and he bared his teeth. _No,_ he snarled, _now step away from him!_

Sendak growled back, showing his bloody teeth. _You want my prey? Come and take him._

Keith didn’t even hesitate. He charged forward. Sendak leaped over the sprawled body and put his head down, slamming into Keith and threw the smaller wolf to the ground. Keith yelped, kicking his legs and clawing at the larger wolf who was standing over him with flashing teeth.

_Shit, shit!_ Teeth snapped close to Keith, cutting through his fur and barely missing his flesh. Keith kicked and struggled, his breath coming in loud pants and low growls. Using strength found through pure desperation, Keith shoved the larger werewolf off him and leaped to his feet.

Keith was now standing between Shiro and the alpha werewolf. He was panting loudly but had escaped mostly unscathed.

Sendak whirled around, staring at the smaller wolf with a horrible smile. _I’m going to fuck you until you’re ripped in two,_ the alpha sneered. _And I’m going to rip that pathetic human to shreds and make you eat his flesh._

_No, you’re not,_ Keith growled back. Sendak stalked forward and Keith steeled his limbs. If he backed up he’d step on Shiro, if he moved to the right or left he’d leave the man vulnerable. But Sendak--was coming. _I’m warning you._

The large werewolf laughed, which came out as a low huffing growl. _I bet your flesh tastes delicious._

Keith swallowed hard. There had to be a way out of this. There had to be something he could do. He wasn’t some fucking weakling, he wasn’t a helpless omega! He could take care of himself. He had for years. He didn’t need a pack or other werewolf friends. He was independent--

But right now it wasn’t just his life and body on the line. He flicked his ear back, listening to Shiro’s rapid, gurgly breathing. What chance was there that Shiro would live through this? He’d been mauled, his arm torn off--was he already dying? Was it even worth staying here to defend him? Should he just turn tail and run?

No, Keith couldn’t just abandon him, he could never abandon anyone to such a horrible fate.

With a snarl the small black wolf launched himself at Sendak, purposely aiming for his scarred eye. Sendak reared back to avoid a bite to the face and countered by shoving Keith with his much larger bulk. Keith hit the brick wall with a gasp, momentarily struggling to breathe, when Sendak lunged again.

Once more Keith used Sendak’s nearly blind eye to his advantage, dancing around the larger, lumbering werewolf. Had this been any other night Keith would have simply avoided the alpha’s sharp teeth all night, but he didn’t have time. Shiro didn’t have that kind of time on his side.

_Fuck!_ Keith snarled as he strayed too close to the alpha and was grazed by his teeth. He felt blood rush from a bite on his upper front leg. Keith needed to keep his attention--

Behind them, Shiro’s breath stuttered.

_I don’t have time,_ Keith snarled to himself. He dodged Sendak’s teeth before slamming into the other werewolf head-first. He felt teeth puncture his chest, but he didn’t care. He just needed-- They toppled over, the black wolf on the larger alpha, and teeth flashed-- 

Sendak howled in misery and lurched back, his nearly blind eye now gone.

Keith snarled, spraying blood at the alpha. Sendak, stumbling from losing his eye, snarled and tried to counter, but his balance and vision were too impaired to continue to fight. When Keith lunged for him again, Sendak retreated.

But he’d be back, and Keith knew that.

…

_How do I do this?_ Keith whined as he limped around Shiro. The man was still out cold and his breathing was starting to grow shallow. The stump of his arm was still bleeding, and his clothing was completely soaked in blood and sweat.

Keith flicked his ears and dropped his head to what was left of Shiro’s arm and started to lick. He needed the bleeding to stop, he needed to clean it, he needed--

The black wolf snapped his head back. Shiro’s blood tasted heavily of infection, but not from bacteria, but from werewolf teeth. When Sendak had mauled the man, and ripped off his arm, he had also infected him with lycanthropy, which was spread through the venom harbored in a werewolf’s teeth. 

Keith huffed and shook his head. He could worry about explaining all this to Shiro if he lived through the night. And in order to do that he had to somehow drag the man back to his apartment.

After pacing around the alley Keith finally put his mind to work. He clawed around dumpsters and trash bins before he found a large sheet of cardboard. He dragged it back to Shiro and, as carefully as he could, pushed the man onto it.

Shiro moaned in pain, causing Keith to hold his breath. He needed Shiro to not wake up right now. The severed arm, the bite marks, the blood and pain and horror of it all--Keith couldn’t deal with a hysterical human right now. So he waited until Shiro quieted before ever-so-carefully grabbing a corner of the cardboard in his mouth and started to drag it.

Thank god the back alleys of his neighborhood were empty this time of night, otherwise Keith would have caught all kinds of attention dragging him down the sidewalk.

When Keith was standing in front of his building he realized getting Shiro here was the easy part. Now how the fuck did he get him inside?

Keith felt a sting of bitterness rising from watching too many horror movies growing up. Werewolves in the movies had it so easy because most of them portrayed as bipedal. Keith would kill to be a bipedal werewolf right now. But no, fact was, werewolves were just huge wolves full of different kinds of lust and a love for the full moon.

Keith trotted around to his side of the building and craned his head up. There was the fire escape but… how… did he climb that… with an injured human? Keith snarled, showing his teeth. Then in frustration he threw his head back and howled loudly.

“Hey! Shut up out there!” echoed a loud voice.

Keith froze. He knew that voice! For once in his life he has happy to hear it. The black wolf broke into a run, howling again to make sure the person who had been yelling stayed where he was. The wolf ran around the building to Pidge’s side, and there, looking down from the fire escape, was Lance.

It was perhaps the first in his life that Keith was happy to see him.

The man, tall and lean with sun-kissed skin, short brown hair and bright eyes, was leaning over the railing of Pidge’s balcony. He was wearing a tye-dye t-shirt and white jeans that were way too tight.

Keith gave his head a shake, reminding himself that this was not the time to roll his eyes at Lance’s fashion choices. Instead he howled again, loud and desperate, the sound bouncing off the walls of the buildings around him, making it echo. Lance jumped and backed up, before turning and yelling through the window.

In seconds he was joined by Pidge, dressed the same as earlier only this time she was wearing a headset, and Hunk. The beefy man, with skin as tanned as Lance’s and shaggy dark hair, was wearing a old Legend of Zelda hoodie and a snapback.

“Keith!?” Pidge called down. She’d never seen Keith act this way before. The black wolf was pacing back and forth, howling and yowling, and only when the moonlight lit the alley did she see all the blood in his fur. “Jesus--fuck--”

The trio disappeared and Keith ran to the front of the building to greet them. Lance grabbed Pidge before she could run out the front door and pointed at Keith, who was bloody and torn up.

“Wait a second!” Lance shouted, “how do you know it’s safe? He’s could be like, rabid!”

“Werewolves can’t get rabies,” Pidge snapped. She pushed by him, leaving the two in the lobby as she stepped outside. She didn’t hesitate to walk up to the massive black wolf. 

“Keith?” she asked worriedly.

Keith whined miserably and dropped his tail and his ears. When Pidge reached out to touch his head he instead nudged at her hand and turned, willing her to follow. 

He lead her to Shiro, who he had left in the alley, still on the cardboard, still out cold.

“Fuck,” Pidge gasped. “Who did this?”

Keith once again thanked the moon for his amazing friend. Anyone else would have immediately assumed that Keith had done this, but Pidge knew that he wouldn’t do such a thing. 

She knelt next to Shiro. “I-I know this guy,” she gasped. “I’ve seen him at Starbucks.”

Behind them came the sound of pounding feet and they were joined by Lance and Hunk. While Pidge trusted that Keith wasn’t a killer, Lance did not.

“Keith! What did you do!” he shouted as the color drained from his face.

“He didn’t do this, idiot,” Pidge snapped. “We need to get him upstairs or he’s going to die.”

“That’s a lot of blood,” Hunk gulped as he turned green.

“Don’t let me down, Healer,” Pidge barked at him. She pointed at both of them. “You guys help!”

“Wh-where is his arm?” Lance asked as he tried to figure out the best way to lift the man without hurting him.

His arm! Shit! Keith whirled around. He’d left it in the alley. He stepped away, only to stop. No, there was no reason to retrieve it. It couldn’t be re-attached and by now the rats were certainly all over it. He only whined softly and turned back to the group and trotted behind them as the three lifted Shiro and carried him to the front door of the building.

“Where are we taking him?” Lance asked as he lugged Shiro into the elevator.

“Keith?” Pidge asked. 

Keith huffed. He needed his friends to help with Shiro’s wounds, but he didn’t need the man bleeding all over (and possibly dying) in Pidge’s apartment, so when the doors opened on their floor he walked to his apartment door.

“Good idea,” Hunk agreed quickly, “let’s leave him in Keith’s place.”

“Is he going to eat him?” Lance asked. “What if we’re just like, delivering his take-out midnight snack?”

“This is a human, Lance, not Chinese food,” Pidge grunted. She shifted Shiro into Lance and Hunk’s arms as she found Keith’s spare key on her key-ring, which was heavy with far too many keys and a trinkets.

Inside they carefully laid Shiro down on the floor. Keith whined loudly, pacing around the man, nudging him with his nose.

“Keith, he’s infected,” Pidge said as she knelt beside the man. 

_I know, _he answered, even though she couldn’t hear him. He sighed heavily. _Please just help him.___

__Lance groaned, throwing his hands. “Fuck, okay! Where is the first-aid kit? Or maybe, I don’t know, an ambulance?”_ _

__“You heard Pidge,” Hunk said as he followed Keith to the hallway closest where he found the med kit, “he’s infected. You can’t just take a werewolf to a hospital. It would be like, really bad.”_ _

__Lance stubbed his toe into the carpet. “I know that.”_ _

__“So get over here and help me,” Pidge ordered the two. When Keith tried to push between them to see how Shiro was doing, she shoved him away. “Go sit over there.”_ _

__With a huff Keith did as ordered as sat on the floor in front of an open window. The night air was fresh and he inhaled heavily, taking deep breaths to cleanse his lungs and nose. After that he started to clean himself up, licking his wounds which were suddenly starting to hurt. He was going to fucking sore in the morning._ _

__But not as sore as Shiro._ _


	3. Scars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I had a burst of creativity *thumbs up*

Pidge, Lance and Hunk left shortly before the sun rose. They had stabilized Shiro as much as they possibly could, when Pidge noticed that the man’s smaller wounds were already starting to heal and scar. The bleeding on his severed arm had stopped and some of the color had returned to his face. 

“Good luck,” Pidge had whispered before leaving and locking the door behind her.

Good luck was right. Keith sat staring miserably at the half-naked man lying on his floor. How the fuck was he going to do this? How… was he going to explain it? He tried to remember when he’d been bitten, but it was all such a blur, followed by two months of having a complete mental breakdown that had landed him in a mental health clinic where his nurse just happened to be a werewolf. 

Keith wondered if he still had her number. Maybe he could call her and… what, pawn Shiro off on her?

He flattened his ears and huffed loudly. He could feel the influence of the moon starting to wane, which mean he would be shifting back into his human skin. He paced around Shiro, sniffing at his hair and the stump of his arm. Shiro’s scent had changed, it was woodsy and wolfish, and… alluring. Keith felt a tingle up his spine.

Now was not the time to oogle the injured man, but Keith couldn’t help but sit and stare at him. Hunk had stripped Shiro down to his underwear in order to clean up all the cuts, scrapes and bites from Sendak, and Keith had shamefully stared at what he considered the most perfect body he’d ever seen in his life.

And then Pidge had thrown a pillow at his head to snap him out of his stare.

Keith flipped his tail and turned around, looking to the window. The sky was starting to change colors, so he could probably start focusing on changing any minute now--

“Wh-what…”

The black wolf jumped in surprise at the croaking voice. He whirled around, staring at Shiro, who was staring at him. The man’s eyes were huge and his mouth agape. Keith opened his mouth, before remembering he couldn’t actually speak, and instead ran behind the nearest object, which was the couch.

 _Why am I hiding?!_ Keith shouted at himself. But he didn’t move. Not until he felt the moon’s grip fall away and he was suddenly changing back. It came in a hard rush, his adrenaline was up and even through he was exhausted, the burst of energy made the shift back fast but very painful. When he was back in his human skin he sagged to the floor with a weak gag and stifled a cry. 

“What the hell is going on?” the man gasped.

Keith looked around. He spotted his hoodie lying over the back of the couch and jerked it on. It was a size too big, which is worked in his favor because it covered his nudity. He didn’t think stepping out from behind the couch naked was what Shiro needed to see right now.

As he stood he tried to comb his fingers through his messy mane of black hair and hoped--that what? He didn’t look like serial killer? Keith swallowed hard and stood and stepped around the couch.

Shiro was still lying on the floor under the blankets Pidge had tucked around him. He frowned. “Keith?”

“You remember my name?” he asked in surprise.

“Well--yeah--” Shiro grunted in pain and tried to move, when he seemed to realize something was very wrong. “What the fuck?”

Keith swallowed hard and stepped forward quickly. He dropped to his knees next to the man. “Don’t move around so much or you’ll start bleeding again.”

Shiro ignoring him though, and using his left arm to push himself up, causing the blanket to fall. He stared in disbelief at his bandaged shoulder. His eyes grew wide, his face pale, and he opened his mouth and gasped, “What happened?!”

Keith slumped to the floor. “I’m so sorry, Shiro… this is all my fault.”

“How?” he demanded, his demeanour suddenly going from pale and shocked to sharp and angry. He narrowed his eyes and stared at the young man next to him. Keith looked worse for wear. His hair was messy and dirty with dried blood, he could see just under the collar of the oversized hoodie that there were deep cuts and bruising on his chest. There was dried blood on his hand and under his nose and bruising around his eyes. 

“What do you remember?” Keith asked.

Shiro slowly laid back, because everything hurt had started to string with pain and he felt fresh wetness under the bandages that seemed to be all over him. “I was walking home from the gym,” he said as he stared at the slowly rotating ceiling fan just above him. “And...there was… a dog. No, it wasn’t a dog.”

Keith exhaled loudly. “It was a monster.”

Shiro frowned, both in confusion and pain, which was starting to pulse through him. “Like a serial killer?”

Keith’s lips tightened into a humorless smile. “Well, he is that,” he said. “But… no. Not a serial killer. Not a human one anyway.” He could smell fresh blood, both from himself and from Shiro’s newly opened wounds. Keith pushed to his feet to retrieve the first-aid kit that was severely depleted of resources. 

When he returned to Shiro’s side the man lay still, letting him add clean bandages to ones that were bleeding through.

“So what non-human thing took my arm?” Shiro demanded, and even though his voice was weak, it was still very authoritative. 

“A werewolf.”

Shiro blinked at him. “Fuck you.”

“I’m serious,” Keith insisted softly. “It was--”

“You know what--” Shiro grunted as he forced himself to sit up, and then to Keith’s shock, stand. “I’m leaving.”

“Shiro, wait--you need to sit down!” Keith yelped as he stood. “You’re too hurt--you need--”

“A hospital!” Shiro shouted. “And the police? I mean--what the hell!”

Keith swallowed hard and felt pain rushing through him. “Shiro--I’m so sorry. But let me explain--”

“That a werewolf took my arm?” Shiro asked with a hard stare. “Say it.”

“A werewolf took your arm,” Keith answered.

Shiro took his head. “You’re out of your mind.”

“It was Sendak,” Keith insisted desperately as he followed the limping man to the front door. Thankfully it was locked, giving him some extra time. “You remember him--”

“Of course I do,” Shiro snapped. He slumped suddenly, turning so his back was against the door and abruptly collapsed, landing hard on his rear. He grunted at the pain and in exhaustion. “Why would Sendak be a werewolf? And why would he--”

It seemed for the first time Shiro was focusing on things other than his arm. Like the claw marks across his chest, the bite marks that were unmistakingly made by some kind of huge canine, and the bruises that seemed to covered him everywhere. Again he looked at Keith, to the marks barely visible on his chest from under the hoodie, and then bruises and scrapes on his face and his bare legs. He frowned, shaking his head. “Fuck this.”

Keith knelt in front of him. He opened his mouth to speak when Shiro reached out with his left hand. His fingers, surprisingly gentle for the rage that was clearing pooling up inside him, touched the collar of the hoodie and pushed it down. Keith winced in pain, but allowed Shiro to expose the wound on his chest. It was red and angry and bleeding, and his pale skin was bright colored bruises.

“He did this to you?” Shiro asked as he pulled his hand back. “How did I get here? Did… you save me?”

Guilt hit Keith like a baseball bat to the stomach. “I… I’m the reason you’re hurt. This is my fault, Shiro.”

He frowned. “What? You said Sendak did this?”

“Sendak did this because of me,” Keith confirmed with a nod. “He wanted to hurt me. So he hurt you.”

“Why would hurting me hurt you?” the man asked.

Keith decided not to answer that particular question and instead said, “Um, you should… clean up. The shower is down the hall. And I can try to find you some clothes that’ll fit you.”

Shiro frowned but didn’t bring the subject back around. “What about a hospital?”

“We can’t go to the hospital,” Keith said. He stood and reached down for Shiro’s left hand. After a moment Shiro accepted help and Keith pulled him to his feet. “Go look in the mirror and you’ll understand why.”

“We’re not done talking about this,” Shiro said, his voice again dripping with authority, and it made Keith wonder if Shiro had been in the military. With his body it was easily understandable. Shiro was… gorgeous, even covered in bandages and blood. His shoulders were wide, his body taunt and strong, his hands big and his jawline sharp. And there was something else… something strong lurking beneath the surface.

Shiro had to be an alpha, Keith would bet his life on it. Already he could feel the allure, he could smell the thickness in the air that alpha’s carried, it served as both warning and lure to other wolves. And when Shiro looked at him, Keith felt weak. 

…

Shiro shut the bathroom door and stood trembling. He felt both sluggish and strong. He didn’t know how to describe it. Adrenaline was pumping through his veins, but something else. Shiro felt like he could take on the world, punch through a wall, maybe even fly-- but at the same time he was frail and exhausted and seriously needed medical treatment.

But it looked like he was stuck here for the moment. So instead he turned to the shower. He was going to reach for the glass door when he caught his reflection.

It wasn’t the bloody bandages and bruising that caught his attention, it was the fact that many of the unbandaged wounds were--healed. Already there was a sharp scar across his nose. Other little scratches and scrapes were healing clean. In a sudden rush Shiro fumbled with his left hand to rip away the bandages.

Some of the wounds were still bleeding, but many were healing and scarring. With some hesitation he ripped the packing and bandages off the stump of his arm.

There was no bleeding, no infection. It was almost completely healed. The skin was tender to the touch and still bruised with some redness, but he realized that it didn’t even hurt. The world started to turn sideways and Shiro stumbled, falling hard onto the closed toilet seat. He sat there, hand to his chest, gasping for breath, as the world around him fell apart.

Keith wasn’t lying.

Something horrible had happened to him. Whether or not the werewolf bullshit turned out to be true, Shiro couldn’t deny that something supernatural was going on. He sat there, shaking and breathing heavily, staring at his amputation, at the healing cuts on his body, at the--massive bite mark on his upper thigh that looked like a giant wolf had used him as a chew toy.

“Jesus… Christ…”

…

While Shiro was in the shower Keith tended his own wounds and changed into jeans and a t-shirt. He sifted through his closet, trying to find something that would fit Shiro, but the man was built way taller and wider than himself. Keith held up a couple t-shirts before throwing them on the bed. The only thing that might fit would be a pair of black sweatpants, and that only if he stretched them out. They were still going to be tight on Shiro’s hips and his thighs.

Keith swallowed hard. Thinking inappropriately about the mauled man in his bathroom was not what he should be doing at the moment. He draped the pants on the doorknob of the bathroom door for Shiro to find when he opened it. He then gathered up Shiro’s clothing, which was torn to pieces. So after fishing out the man’s wallet, keys, and broken cell phone, Keith deposited the dirty clothes in a garbage bag and tied it shut.

He went into the kitchen and started to make coffee. He was exhausted and a bit wobbly on his feet, but he couldn’t just pass out right now. Shiro had been in the bathroom for nearly an hour and Keith had to be awake when he finally came out. He was sure the man was going to have a lot more questions. Keith just prayed he had the answers.

Keith was just opening his refrigerator to see if he had anything decent to make for breakfast, because he was famished, when there was a knock at the door. Before he even opened it he could smell the three people standing there and what they carried with them.

“We brought pancakes,” Pidge said when Keith opened the door.

“I made them,” Hunk added with a big grin.

Keith smiled at te two. “Thanks.”

Behind them Lance sniffed before peering around Hunk. “So where’s the guy?”

“In the shower,” Keith said with a frown.

Lance strode past Keith and down the hall, only to stop short of the bathroom when he could hear the shower running. Satisfied that Keith hadn’t murdered anyone for now he followed the group into the small kitchen where Hunk was setting up the island with homemade pancakes and scrambled eggs.

“That looks great, thanks Hunk,” Keith said with genuine smile.

Hunk smiled happily. “Hey, I know how rough full moons can be. Or--I guess I don’t, because I’m not a werewolf, but I’ve heard stories. I guess I haven’t. Pidge told me you’d probably be hungry and I wanted pancakes.”

Keith laughed. “Well, whatever.”

“You look exhausted,” Pidge observed. “You should get some sleep.”

“I can’t,” Keith said, “Shiro is going to have questions--”

“That’s an understatement,” rumbled a voice from the hall, causing all four to turn and Lance to nearly fall off his chair. Standing just down the hall was a freshly showered Shiro, hair still damp and skin still dewy and clean. He was wearing the sweatpants that Keith had left for him, and unsurprisingly they were too small, and clung to every part of Shiro’s hips and muscular legs. And that’s all he was wearing. His severed arm was heal with only scarring now, and all the other scrapes and bites and scratches were healing at a rate that puzzled even Keith. 

“Woah,” mumbled Lance. “Uh, hey nice to see you alive.”

“Yeah, totally,” added Hunk. He tugged nervously on his hoodie before he pulled it off, revealing a t-shirt underneath. “Here, this might uh, fit you. If you wanted to wear something else.”

A little voice Keith’s head yelled, _no, he certainly doesn’t!_ which he didn’t repeat out loud, instead he took the hoodie from Hunk and approached the man, who watched him carefully.

Alpha. Shiro was definitely an alpha. Now that the scent of blood and fear and sweat was gone, Keith could scent all the new things about Shiro. The wolf that was growing inside him, the power and the energy, and that alpha charisma that, when used right, could compel others to follow him. 

Keith swallowed hard and resisted the urge to drop his eyes away from Shiro’s. “Are you feeling better?”

Shiro stared at him, eyes boring deep, before he accepted the hoodie. “I don’t know yet,” he answered. He had a few issues tugging the hoodie on but eventually he pulled it down over his head. Carefully, using his left hand, he tied off the empty sleeve so it wasn’t dangling. It fit as well as expected, but was tight around Shiro’s shoulders and forearm.

“Thank you,” Shiro said sincerely to Hunk. “I’m Takashi Shirogane, by the way. You can call me Shiro.”

“Hunk,” he said with a wave.

“I’m Lance,” the other young man with a blush.

“Pidge,” she added finally with a salute.

Shiro stepped around Keith, who followed him into the kitchen, his eyes on Pidge. He frowned. “You’re… not human.”

Pidge, who had been sitting on the island, grinned. “Nope.”

Shiro glanced at Keith before eyeing the other two males. “But you two are.”

“Yeah, we’re boring,” Hunk said with a smile.

“Says you,” Lance countered. “I’ll have you know I’m amazing.”

Keith rolled his eyes at Lance’s flirting. “Lance, shut up.”

Shiro didn’t seem to mind, he only smiled before turning his attention to Pidge. “Can I ask, what are you? You’re not a… a werewolf,” the word still tasted alien in his mouth, “you’re something… else.”

“I’m a shape-shifter,” Pidge said. 

Shiro’s eyebrows went up in amazement. “Really?” he exclaimed, “what can you change into?”

Pidge beamed at the attention. “It’s not like the movies. I can only take one shape.”

“Interesting. What do you change into? Is it a pigeon? Is that why you’re name is that?”

Lance howled with laughter and Keith choked on his coffee. Hunk clapped his hand over his mouth to silent his laugh.

Pidge elbowed Lance in the gut, causing him to double-over on the ground. “No,” she said with a blush, “a cougar.”

Keith was still trying to catch his breath after swallowing his coffee wrong. _A pigeon!_

“My real name is Katie,” she added. “Um, want some breakfast? You’ll need it.”

Shiro scratched the back of his neck. “I am feeling pretty hungry. I didn’t think I would be.”

“Werewolves eat a lot,” Keith spoke up. “We… we need a lot of calories for when we change our shape. It’s why a lot of new werewolves go mad during their first couple months, those without a pack to help them anyway.” For a moment he was gone, remembering those first two months, the horror he put himself and others through, the atrocities he could never make up for.

A hand touched his shoulder, and Keith was startled to see that it was Shiro was trying to comfort _him._

“I don’t hold any angry toward you, Keith,” he said softly. “Whatever happened… whatever you say, it wasn’t your fault. You said Sendak attacked me, that he’s a werewolf, and you know what, it makes a lot of sense now. I always pegged that guy as some kind of monster. I just didn't mean a literal one.”

Pidge hopped off the island and Keith found two more chairs so they could all sit at the island together. The atmosphere was light. Shiro had to adjust to using his left hand to do everything, but he was a quick learner and again it made Keith think he was ex-military. Hunk and Lance brought familiarity to the table, being human, and talked about everything ordinary and everyday while Keith and Pidge talked to Shiro about the Otherworld.

“The Otherworld?” Shiro repeated after finishing his sixth pancake. “I want to know more about that.”

“How about,” Pidge suggested as she finished her coffee, “the four of us settle in the living room and Keith, you go to sleep.”

Keith, who had been about to refill his coffee, turning around with a frown. “What?”

“You had a long night,” she reminded him with a steady stare, “you need to sleep.”

“I do not.”

“Yes, you do.”

“I really don’t.”

“I think she’s right,” Shiro spoke up. “You look exhausted. And fighting off another werewolf couldn’t have been easy. Why don’t you get some rest? I think I’m safe hands.”

 _With these cheeseballs?_ Keith wondered. But slowly he dropped his shoulders. He was exhausted. The food had settled his stomach and he felt warm and sleepy. He exhaled slowly. “Fine. Just wake me if you need anything.”

“We’ll be fine,” Pidge said with a smile.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Shiro added. “I want to talk to more about this werewolf thing.”

For some reason, knowing that Shiro wouldn’t be running away made Keith feel a new kind of warmth that tingled from his ears down to his toes. He walked by them for his bedroom, where he shut the door and collapsed with an umph.


	4. Misfits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You can thank the new season of Voltron for spurring my creativity.

A soft knocking at his bedroom door woke Keith from a startling deep and dreamless sleep. He sat up with a start, blinking until his eyes adjusted to Hunk standing in the doorway. “What’s up?” he asked with a yawn.

“We uh, ordered a bunch of pizzas,” Hunk explained with a smile. “I thought you’d want some while it was fresh.”

“Oh,” he said in surprise. “How long have I been asleep?”

“About four hours.”

“Four hours?!” Keith yelped as he shot to his feet. “Seriously?”

Hunk laughed as he held his hands up and motioned for Keith to calm down. “Chill out, Keith. You were exhausted. And truthfully, I shouldn’t be waking you, but I thought you’d be hungry.”

After stumbling ungracefully over the sheets that were twisted around him, Keith stepped away from the bed. It was then that he realized he was a pretty smelly and dirty from his tussle in the alley. He ran his hand through his messy hair. “Ugh, I need a shower.” He groped around in his closet for a clean clothes.

“Well, the pizzas aren’t here yet,” Hunk said, “you have time to.”

“Thanks man,” Keith said with a sigh. He patted Hunk’s shoulder as they left the bedroom and he veered for the bathroom. 

Before he showered he brushed his teeth, and then checked over all his wounds. The nap had indeed helped him heal and soon the puncture marks from Sendak’s teeth would be just another memory that sometimes ached after a nightmare.

With a resounding sigh he stepped into the shower, turning the water to hot. He washed his hair and then grabbed the body wash and shower sponge and started to clean himself from his head to his toes. It was stupid, but he felt very strongly that he wanted to look clean and smell nice when he went out the living room to join the others. 

_It has nothing to do with Shiro,_ he told himself. An obvious lie.

After rinsing off he stepped out into the steam-filled bathroom and dried off before dressing into clean clothing. He’d grabbed a red tank top and his favorite pair of black sweatpants. Tugging everything on, and taking a moment to brush his hair before pulling it back into a short ponytail, he headed out to join the others just as there was a knock at the door.

“Oh, hey Keith’s here,” Lance announced, “where is your credit card?”

“Lance,” Hunk sighed, “we all went in on it, it’s fine.”

“I can help pay,” Keith said with a glance between the two, “how much do you want?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Pidge said as she opened the door for the delivery man. Lance stepped up to accept the five pizzas and breadsticks while she paid and tipped the man, then they were all in Keith’s kitchen again.

“Sleep well?” Pidge asked.

“I feel better, yeah,” he said. He looked at Shiro, who was sitting between Lance and Hunk. “How are you doing?”

“I’m feeling a little sore yet,” Shiro admitted, “but Lance offered to help me out with some physical therapy.”

Keith’s eyes snapped to the other man. “Oh, he did, huh?”

“Well,” Lance said with a sly grin, “I _am_ a registered nurse.”

“At the Children’s Hospital,” Keith reminded him.

“That is true, but remember I worked at the VA first.”

Shiro tilted his head. “Why did you leave?”

“I like working with little kids,” Lance admitted with an honest smile, “I had lots of siblings growing up and younger cousins and now I have a lot of nephews and nieces. Most of them live in Florida and Cuba so I don’t see them all that often. I guess working with kids makes me feel more at home. And, because the VA was... “

“Depressing,” Shiro finished for him. “I understand. I was hurt on duty and had to go there for a while.”

Keith looked up from his pizza. “You were a soldier?” His guess about Shiro being in the military was right.

“Yeah,” he said. “I uh, don’t really like to talk about it. I was hurt and discharged home.”

“Well you look fine to me,” Lance said.

Pidge spared Keith a sympathetic glance. When she first met Keith she had tried setting him up with Lance, thinking the two would hit it off. Needless to say that their first and only date had blown up spectacularly. Most of the time the two could be civil, especially if Hunk was there, the man was a natural peacekeeper, but Pidge saw the way that Keith had been looking at Shiro, and she had watched Lance flirt with the man all night. And now he was flirting with Shiro right in front of Keith. She wondered if Keith would wolf-out and finally take down the Cuban.

“So guys,” she interrupted loudly and clapped her hands, “how about we invite Keith and Shiro into our Rebel Alliance?”

Shiro arched an eyebrow. “Like… Star Wars?”

“It’s our nickname,” Hunk chuckled warmly, “like, The Avengers! Or the Justice League. But Pidge is the only one with superpowers.”

Shiro laughed. “What does your Alliance do?”

“Get together two or three times a week for video games, board games, arcade games, and generally eat, drink, and be way too merry,” Hunk explained. “Have you ever been to Voltron? It’s an arcade and a bar and grill for adults only.”

“Uh, no I haven’t,” Shiro admitted. “I just moved here a couple months ago. Mostly I’ve just gone to gym and collected take-out menus while looking for a job.”

“What do you say, Keith?” Pidge asked. She’d been trying to get Keith to join their group since she had grown to trust the young werewolf and view him as a friend, but he’d always politely refused. But she felt now, with Shiro, that both werewolves needed a group of friends, and if they weren’t going to join a pack with other werewolves, then they might as well join their pack of misfits.

Keith glanced at Shiro. “I, um, well…”

“I’m in if you are,” Shiro said, looking across the island at him.

Keith looked down at his plate full of pizza before shrugging. “Fine, why not.”

“Yay!” Hunk crowed loudly, startling Lance. “Welcome to the Rebel Alliance gentlemen!”

“That is such a lame name,” Shiro snorted.

“And we are lame people, Shiro!”

…

One beer run and two hours later, everyone had gone home except for Shiro. He and Keith sat in the living room, watching the 1956 movie “Forbidden Planet” on the classic movie channel. Keith however was only half-watching the movie while he nursed his second beer, because he was too busy watching Shiro.

Shiro was not okay. The man was doing a good job at hiding it, Keith had to credit him for that. Finally, after a long drink to give him courage, he sat up and placed his bottle on the coffee table.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

Shiro, who had been lounging in the old maroon recliner, look at Keith with a confused frown before he sat up. “Of course.”

“Shiro,” Keith sighed, “how can you possibly be okay?”

Shiro turned his attention to his missing arm. “I’ve accepted the situation.”

“You’ve accepted the situation,” Keith repeated with an exasperated sigh, “who are you lying to? Me, or yourself?”

The man turned to Keith. “Excuse me?”

“I admire your determination to act as cool and normal as possible,” Keith said, “but you’re not adapting, Shiro, you’re denying. And I can’t have you in denial.”

“I’m not in denial,” Shiro said, his voice sharp. “I’m very much aware of what happened to me.”

“But have you accepted it?” Keith asked.

“Of course I have.”

“Because it took me two months and a trip to a mental institution to accept it,” Keith continued just as sharply. He stood up and hesitated, fingers tugging on the edge of his shirt before he finally jerked it off. He heard Shiro’s sharp intake of breath, and while it would have been flattering to know that Shiro was gasping at his physique, he knew what the man was looking at. Keith stood still, letting Shiro stare at the massive, ugly, puffy scar that was ripped across his left side. The werewolf that had mauled him hadn’t just bitten him once, no it had come back for seconds and thirds, and had literally tried to eat him. The scar he bore was horrible evidence of what a hungry werewolf was capable of doing. Keith still didn’t know how he survived. He supposed he should be sending the first responders Christmas cards for saving his life years ago.

“I didn’t know werewolves were real when this happened,” Keith said as he gestured to the scar. “I thought it was a bear. I had been jogging along a country road back home in Texas, when this… thing came out of nowhere and tried to eat me. Thankfully a trucker came along and the werewolf ran off and he called nine-one-one.”

Keith pulled his shirt back on and sank down onto the couch. He grabbed the beer, just to clutch the bottle between his hands. “I don’t remember my first full moon. I just remember waking up in a field with a man dead next to me.”

“Y-you killed someone?” Shiro stammered.

“I did more than murder him,” Keith admitted with a gulp. He closed his eyes for a second to pull himself together. “But I didn’t… believe that I had done it, you know? I thought it was the thing that had bitten me. I reported it, because how could I not? Thankfully werewolf DNA isn’t something that can be tested for. It never lead back to me.”

He sat back, pulling his legs up and sitting with them crossed. “By the next full moon I figured out that something was fucking wrong with me, but… I didn’t know what,” he continued. “I… was having nightmares every time I closed my eyes. I thought it was just PTSD from what had happened to me, and in a way I think it is, I think every werewolf must suffer from it, but I was remembering exactly how I’d killed that man, and how’d I’d fed off him.”

“Keith…”

“I remember my second full moon,” Keith interrupted, “I remember the change. The way my skin ripped open and… and it was like the wolf was pushing out from inside me, but instead of exploding all the pieces of my body just molded back together into a monster. And I killed again. Four cattle this time, thankfully. After that I realized that something was really wrong and I had to do something about it.”

“What did you do?” Shiro asked, his voice a anxious whisper.

“I tried to kill myself,” he said. “Didn’t work. So I tried again. I went out into a wooded area to do it, but a hunter found me. They called an ambulance and the police, and I was given a couple choices. Thinking I was fucking nuts I agreed to be institutionalized. And when I was there I met Allura, a nurse and funnily enough, a werewolf.”

Shiro was staring at Keith with an expression of pity and fear. His eyes were somewhat wide and his jaw was tight. He was clutching his beer bottle in his one hand tightly. He shifted, breaking out of the spell Keith’s story had pulled him into. “I guess I… I mean… After what happened to me in Iraq, I always told myself that I would overcome any situation placed in front of me, no matter how hard or horrible. And I’m just… trying to keep that promise to myself.” 

He set his bottle on the coffee table and looked back to Keith, “When I said I didn’t want to talk about what happened there, I meant it, and while I’m not going to compare our personal tragedies, I’m just going to say that what happened there, and the training I went through, are the strings of what’s currently keeping me all pulled together. And that I also had people to help me through it all. But I’m sorry you had to go through that shit all alone… Don’t you have any family?”

Keith really didn’t feel like talking anymore about himself, already having told Shiro more about his past than he’d ever told anyone outside of Allura, even Pidge didn’t know about everything he’d done and gone through as a werewolf. So he changed the subject instead, “I admire your strength and resilience, but you needed to know that this… isn’t going to be easy.”

“Oh, I’m aware of that,” Shiro said. He tilted his head, “But as long as you’re with me, I think it’ll be okay.”

Keith straightened up with a start, his heart suddenly very heavy in his chest. “Oh.”

Shiro smiled. “And you know, the rest of the Rebels.”

“Oh, Jesus.”

…

“You’re sure you want to do this?” Keith asked as they pulled up in front of Shiro’s apartment building.

“Yeah,” Shiro as he looked out the window at the building. “I just need some time to myself, to think.”

Keith gripped the steering wheel of his Jeep. “What about your neighbors?”

Shiro exhaled dramatically. “Yeah, I’ll just avoid them for a while. It’s a pretty quiet building, and I’ve only really met the old woman who lives next to me. She doesn’t speak very much English and when I introduced myself in Japanese the first time we road up the elevator together she’s invited me over for Sunday brunch a couple of times.” He laughed softly. “She reminds me of my grandmother back home.”

Keith smiled softly, but was at a loss for words. “Oh.”

Now Shiro smiled, albit sadly. “I’d better get going,” he said. “I uh, have your number. I’ll text you later, okay?”

“Right, sure,” Keith said. “Don’t hesitate if you have any questions.”

“Thank you,” Shiro answered with a warm sincerity. He touched Keith’s shoulder briefly before turning and exiting the Jeep. He waved once from the lobby before disappearing, and Keith headed home alone.

…

**Pidge (12:45am): You awake?**

Keith, who had been sitting in bed with his back against the headboard and a book in his lap, turned when he heard his phone ding. He snatched it off the bed, only to be crestfallen when seeing it was not from Shiro.

**Keith (12:46am): Yeah**

**Pidge (12:46am): He text you?**

**Keith (12:47am): No**

**Pidge (12:47am): You should then**

Keith rolled his eyes. Of course she should think that.

**Keith (12:48am): Why**

**Pidge (12:48am): why not?**

Keith had thought about it, a lot, but if Shiro needed some space to think, then Keith was going to give it to him. He’d hoped the man would text him, and sure in a dark moment he momentarily was jealous over the thought that maybe Shiro was texting Lance instead, before he shoved that thought away. He was not going to make himself jealous over something that wasn’t even a thing. And if it was… then that was Shiro’s choice.

Who was Keith to Shiro anyway? Just an idiot who got him mauled by a psycho werewolf and ruined his whole damn life.

Keith wondered, if he was in Shiro’s shoes, if he’d ever call him again. 

**Pidge (12:52am): HELLOOOOOO**

**Keith (12:52am): sleeping**

**Pidge (12:53am): lies**

Keith felt a smile tug at his lips. He huffed and closed his book, setting it on the nightstand. Reaching over he turned off the lamp and then collapsed onto the bed. Then he text back: **We should both be asleep.**

**Pidge (12:55am): bullshit**

He laughed and felt some of the anxiety easing off his chest. 

**Keith (12:57am): sleeping now. You should, too.**

**Pidge (12:58am): no**

**Keith (12:59am): goodnight**

**Pidge (1:00am): how about I group text the group**

**Keith (1:00am): hell no. good night**

**Pidge (1:01am): loser**

With that Keith set his phone on the nightstand and rolled over. Outside, the moon looked as full and fat as the night before, but it didn’t nearly have the pull that it possessed then. But that didn’t mean Keith couldn’t hear it’s song. And while he didn’t feel the need to rip free of his human flesh and romp as a wolf, it was loud enough to keep him from sleeping.

With a groan Keith sat up, kicking off the blankets. He had to work in the morning, and knew he needed his sleep, but it wasn’t going to come to him while lying around. He left the bed, grabbed his tank top and tugged it on, before walking through his apartment. The clock on the stove told him it was shortly after two in the morning. 

He paced a bit, scratching at an insatiable itch that was tickling his skin, before he headed for the door. He didn’t bother with shoes, he just left the apartment and headed down the stairs. Once outside he headed toward the park.

The night air was cool and the moon was bright above him. He jogged the way to the park, and once there, headed for his tree. He’d left his backpack and clothes from the other night, since he hadn’t gone back to the tree in the morning. Everything was where he had left it, so he zipped up the bag and slipped it over his shoulder.

Keith walked barefoot through the grass and under the light of the moon. He craned his head up, staring at the sky. The city’s light and air pollution blocked out most of the stars, but the moon shone with a light that couldn’t be snuffed out.

He stopped and listened. Crickets sang around him, fireflies blinked in and out of sight, and somewhere a raccoon scurried up a tree. When he was sure he was alone Keith dropped his bag into the grass. “Okay,” he murmured aloud to himself, “let’s give it a shot.”

Keith knelt in the grass, hands on his knees. He closed his eyes, focusing on the warm song of the moon as it hummed through his ears. He focused on the feel of the moon on his skin, of the wind rustling through his lose hair. He drown out the sounds of the city, listening only to the rapid heartbeats of the wildlife around him. He could feel their lives, could smell them on the wind, even taste their scents with his tongue.

But he wasn’t here to meditate. He was here to practice. If he was going to help Shiro through his first change and become a werewolf, then Keith needed to learn to change on his own and learn what it meant to be a werewolf. He knew more about shapeshifters from Pidge than he did about his own species.

Keith focused on a fire deep, deep inside him. A shiver rushed over his skin, sparking his nerves and sending pinches of pain throughout his body. He grit his teeth, focusing on the transformation. He felt pain cut into his knees from his nails which had curled to claws, and he tasted blood from his teeth which had grown sharp, but no matter how hard to pushed, how much he focused, and how vivid a picture he painted in his mind, he couldn’t force the transformation.

Finally he collapsed in the grass, sweaty and breathing heavy. He had to ignore the swell of disappointment that was sitting heavy in his stomach. Of course he wasn’t going to change the first time he tried. He needed to practice. Isn’t that what Pidge had nagged him with for five months? Constantly telling him he had to practice, had to meditate on the monster inside him, had to accept it and become one. Instead he’d stubbornly ignored her and done things his own way.

Which was probably the wrong way.

Keith rolled onto his back, staring up at the sky. What time was it? How long had he been sitting here?

He closed his eyes, and was just on the edge of drifting off when the sound of police sirens rushing down the street outside the park startled him. He sat up, giving his hair a shake, before finally standing. He grabbed his bag and headed home.


	5. Cheesecake

**Shiro (9:45am): Do you want to get lunch?**

Keith sat frozen in the forklift, staring at his cell phone which was clutched tightly in his gloved hand. Around him the noise and energy of the warehouse docks was drown out under the thrumming of his heart and the blood rushing through his ears. 

_Do you want to get lunch?_

When he woke that morning to find that Shiro hadn’t sent a text Keith had resisted the urge to text him first. Shiro was a grown man and if he needed help or wanted to talk, then he would have sent a text sometime that night. That didn’t mean that while making his breakfast that Keith didn’t fret over his phone, checking it constantly, feeling both worried and annoyed with himself and Shiro.

Keith tugged off his gloves and, before texting back, took a deep breath.

**Keith (9:59am):** Sorry, I work today and get only a short lunch. How about dinner?

And a response, almost instantly, **Shiro (9:59am): Sounds perfect! I’ll text you details later.**

Keith felt his cheeks heat up and his heart catch in his chest. After stuffing his phone back into his pocket he tugged his gloves back on and went back to work, though this time he was quite distracted.

Why did Shiro want to get together? Obviously this wasn’t a date. Dating Shiro was just a pipe dream and Keith knew that, because there was no way in hell that a man like that would be interested in someone like _Keith._ And any chances Keith may have had were certainly doused after the whole werewolf-attack and mutilation incident.

That was probably what Shiro wanted wanted to talk about: more questions regarding werewolves.

That didn’t mean that Keith’s mind wasn’t a flutter of activity for the rest of the his shift, which dragged on for twelve hours. It didn’t stop him from spacing off at the most inopportune times, falling into a fantasy that maybe it was a date and that Shiro wanted to see him for him. Each time though his little daydreams were snuffed out by reality, which was very simple: Keith had a crush on a hot man he barely knew, and Shiro needed a friend to help him through the werewolf transition.

Twelve hours later Keith was feeling exhausted. He was dirty, sweaty, and in desperate need of a cold shower. After changing out of his uniform and leaving it for the company to wash and return to his locker, Keith stepped outside where it wasn’t that much cooler than the warehouse floor. He ran his hand through his damp hair and sniffed under his arm.

Ugh. 

**Keith (6:10pm): I’m off work now. Heading home to shower and change. Where do you want to meet?**

**Shiro (6:12pm): Do you know Mario’s Pizza?**

Of course Keith knew that place, he’d stepped in there just once before realizing his mistake. Mario’s Pizza was not the Pizza Hut or Domino’s, it was a high-class restaurant that specializes in gourmet pizza, expensive wines and international beer, lavish salads, and slices of cheesecake that were over ten dollars a slice. 

His fingers twitched. Seriously? That’s where Shiro wanted to meet? This… this wasn’t a date, right?

**Keith (6:15pm): Seriously?**

**Shiro (6:15pm): I have 7pm reservations. Is that okay?**

“I guess so,” Keith murmured to himself as he sent a quick reply. He then rushed home to shower, scrubbing himself down with scented body wash so he wouldn’t smell like oil, machinery and perspiry clothing, before he stood fretting in front of his bedroom closet in just his boxers. Mario’s Pizza didn’t have a dress code, but Keith didn’t think showing up in old, ripped jeans and a hoodie was all that appropriate.

_Or maybe you want to impress Shiro,_ a little voice in his head taunted.

“That’s not it at all,” Keith grumbled under his breath, very much aware how crazy he looked, standing mostly naked in his bedroom and arguing with himself. He ran his fingers through his hair before brushing it out and tying it back rather haphazardly, then finally settled on his nicest pair of black skinny jeans, his favorite pair of black and white Vans that he never wore because he didn’t want to ruin them, and a black tank top with a black and red checkered button-up flannel over the top, which he left open.

After checking his wallet, hoping he had enough money for at least a slice of pizza and a beer, Keith ran out the door.

Knowing he would never get a parking spot this time of night at the restaurant he took the opted for public transportation instead, specifically the bus. He stood near the back, earbuds stuffed in his ears, music playing loudly while he stared out the window. Butterflies twisted in his stomach and anxiety made him feel jittery and slightly nauseous. He closed his eyes, focusing on the loud music in his ears.

This wasn’t a date. It wasn’t a date. Absolutely not.

The music was interrupted by a loud chime from his phone. Keith’s hand trembled as he checked the text.

**Shiro (6:55pm): You here?**

**Keith (6:55pm): Just now.**

He vaulted off the bus and onto the sidewalk a block away from the restaurant. It was a difficult to not break into a run, but there were people everywhere he he was already flushed because he could not stop thinking about… Shiro…

Keith stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, causing a pedestrian to bark at him for blocking the way, but he ignored them. He stared, eyes round and mouth slightly ajar. Standing with his back to a streetlight was Shiro, but he was…

Shiro’s head was bowed and he was thumbing slowly through his phone. He was wearing a backwards snapback, which was far sexier than it ever should have been. There was a band t-shirt stretched tightly across his chest and over it he wore a gorgeous leather jacket; blue jeans and black boots. Shiro had tied off the left sleeve of the coat, but it was the least distracting thing about Shiro, whom had just stolen the breath from Keith’s lungs.

His eyes raked over the man greedily. Was he wearing eyeliner? It was hard to tell from here. He was definitely wearing earrings though, they sparkled in bright light from the street lamp. Because his hat was backwards his white bangs were poufed through the closure. 

Then there was his scent… Keith felt a electric rush up his spine, over his neck, into his brain which started to buzz and short-out. He felt frozen in place, and very, very warm. He’d already been sweating, his bangs were sticking to his forehead and his ponytail was heavy against the back of his neck, but now he felt like he was on fire. Even though Shiro had been a werewolf for less than two days and had yet to go through a full moon, his scent was already heavy and aromatic and _alpha._

Keith turned and ran down the nearest alley.

He stopped before he got too far, leaning over with his hands clutching his knees as he sucked in breath after breath in an attempt to calm down. He closed his eyes as the world spun around him. It was too much, Shiro was simply too much. Keith had though the man attractive during their brief interaction in the grocery store, but now that he was a werewolf everything about Shiro had changed dramatically, and it all started with his scent. 

As a rule omega wolves stayed away from strange alpha wolves, and Keith had done a damn good job of that for the last three years. But now he was feeling cornered, knowing that he was going to have to go out there, and face Shiro. It wasn’t that he felt scared, there was fear there, but it wasn’t the kind that Keith felt when cornered by Sendak, or a group of wolves he didn’t know, this was… different.

Shit.

**Shiro (7:00pm): Keith? Are you here? Did something happen?**

He stared at the phone with widened eyes. For a second he weighed the idea of running away. Panic swelled inside him as he looked for the nearest exit.

“No… no,” Keith gasped. He could do this. He wasn’t going to fucking run away like a coward.

He turned and jogged out of the alley. He peered around the corner, eyes sweeping the crowd of people fo Shiro. The man had stepped away from the street light and his back was to Keith. The alpha was tense, his head tilting this way and that, obviously looking for Keith, who felt a rush of guilt that beat away any panic he had been experiencing. He wasn’t going to abandon Shiro. That was stupid. This whole panic attack was stupid. It was just dinner. He’d had dinner with Pidge, Hunk and Lance plenty of times.

Trying to remain as cool as possible, while desperately trying to fix his hair, Keith stepped out of the alley and toward what was the most beautiful man he’d ever seen and smelled in his life.

“Hey, sorry,” Keith called when he was closer. “Traffic is a bitch.”

Relief washed over Shiro’s face as he turned to Keith and he turned quickly around. “Oh, thank god,” he said with a high, nervous laugh. “I thought you were standing me up.”

Keith shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans, shook his head. “I wouldn’t do that to you.”

Shiro tilted his head, staring closely at the young man in front of him. “You okay? You’re… flushed.”

_And sweaty,_ Keith’s mind added. “I had to run a little bit.”

“Oh,” Shiro said before grinning cockily, “I should have just picked you up on my way.”

“Did you Uber here?” Keith asked. Certainly Shiro didn’t drive himself.

“Let’s talk more inside,” Shiro suggested as he motioned for Keith to follow him, “Reservations, remember?”

With a nod and a jump Keith hurried to follow Shiro inside. The restaurant was what Keith would call aesthetically pleasing: old, worn brick walls, rich wood floors, low-lighting from crystal chandeliers and lots deep red and touches of gold in the curtains, tablecloths, rugs and artwork that hung on the walls. The booths were deep red in color and the round tables in the center were adorned with a single candle and black and white checkered tablecloths. 

“Shirogane, two,” Keith heard Shiro tell the man behind the desk. Then they were being lead through the restaurant to a booth in the back corner, with a large window that looked out to the street. 

“The waitress will be with you,” the host said as he left them with menus. 

Keith sat across from Shiro and had to pinch himself from fidgeting. “So um, why did you want to meet?” he asked.

Shiro, who had picked up the wine menu, looked up. “Do I need a reason?”

Not the answer that Keith wanted. He twisted his hands together under the table. “I guess not.”

The man grinned. He removed the snapback and ran his hand through his hair. “I know we literally just binged on pizza, but I’ve been wanting a good excuse to try this place,” Shiro said with a sheepish smile.

Keith smirked. “I could eat it everyday and not get sick of it.” He glanced at the menu and blanched at the prices. Maybe he spoke too soon, maybe instead they should stop for tacos or Chinese instead.

“I’m buying, by the way,” Shiro added as his dark eyes swept over Keith’s expression, “my treat.”

He looked up, frowning. “Why would you want to treat me? I don’t deserve that.”

Shiro looked at Keith, frowning sadly. “Keith, I really hope you don’t think that.”

Keith opened and shut his mouth. He leaned back in the plush booth before shrugging. 

“I hope this isn’t an issue everytime we get together,” Shiro said, staring at the young man. “I’m fine, Keith.”

Not wanting to ruin the evening, Keith submitted. “Okay. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” Shiro chuckled warmly.

“But I can help pay,” Keith insisted. “It’s not like this is a date.”

Shiro’s lips twitched. “No, I guess not.”

They made small talk as they decided on what specialty pizza to order. After some debate, mostly because everything sounded good, they settled on a large Philadelphia Cheesesteak Pizza, with a side of garlic breadsticks, garden salads with homemade Italian dressing and a brand of beer that Keith had never heard of, but Shiro promised that would like it.

After the waitress dropped off the breadsticks and beer, Shiro turned his attention to the young man in front of him. Keith had been fidgeting ever since he sat down, and Shiro could smell the man’s nervous sweat. But that wasn’t all Shiro could smell. “Say, can I ask you something? It might seem weird.”

Keith took a long drink of beer, and realized that yes, Shiro was right: it was damn good. “Fire away.”

“Do I smell different?”

Keith almost choked, but thankfully he forced the last swallow down. “Uh?” he coughed.

Shiro tilted his head, his eyes curious and a bit worried at Keith’s reaction. “I noticed that people are looking at me differently? And my clothes as home don’t smell the same as my clothing now.”

Keith cleared his throat. “Well, you’re… not human anymore,” he said in a lowered voice. “So yeah.”

“I don’t smell like you,” Shiro said with a cute, confused little frown. “You smell different…”

Keith’s heart started to pound. “Yeah?’

“Like... “ Shiro’s forehead wrinkled as he thought, then finished with, “good, and soft… and sweet.”

Keith choked now without any help. He stared at the other man. “Wh-what?”

“Yeah,” Shiro said with a bit of finality, “that’s exactly how you smell. But it’s not like me. How do I smell?”

_Strong, dominate, and fucking sexy as hell. You’re like… a wolf-god in the moonlight._ But, of course, Keith did not let the words spill out of his mouth. Instead he said, “Um, you smell like Shiro?”

The man’s shoulders slumped somewhat. “Oh.”

Keith jumped. “What I meant was--” he quickly added. He swallowed hard and felt sweat on his brow again. Was he actually doing to do say this? Was he really? “You smell like an alpha wolf.”

That really got Shiro’s attention and he leaned forward with interest. “Does that mean what I think it means?” he asked.

“It means you’re at the top of the werewolf chain,” Keith said softly, “that you’re the top dog, big and dominate, and… the leader of a pack, if you wanted to be.”

In the lowlights of the restaurant Shiro’s eyes sparkled while a soft blush dusted his cheeks. The combination was enough to jolt a rush of warmth through Keith’s entire body. “Really?”

Keith hummed. “Yup.”

Shiro leaned backed in the booth, quiet and thoughtful, until the waiter arrived with their food. Keith swallowed hard, staring at Shiro, before glancing at large pizza. For lunch he hadn’t eaten very much, just a sandwich and some fruit and another energy drink to keep him away and focused on the job ahead of him. Now, staring down the pizza, he felt his stomach rumble.

“Do you mind if I?” Keith asked sheepishly.

There was a moment of confusion from Shiro before he realized, “Keith, you don’t have to ask.”

_Maybe not before,_ Keith thought to himself, _not when you were human…_ He filled his plate with pizza, breadsticks and salad, his stomach rumbling again as he did. After he took his first bite of pizza, perhaps the best pizza he had ever tasted in his life, Shiro then filled his plate and started to eat.

“Mmm,” he all but moaned.

Shiro chuckled. “So if I’m an alpha wolf, then what are you?” he asked before biting into his slice of pizza.

Keith licked the pizza sauce from his lips. “Me?” he asked nervously.

“Yeah,” Shiro said as he watched Keith eat. “You’re pretty strong and dominate, too.”

He laughed at that. “It’s mostly show,” he admitted with a painful smile, “I’m um. Well, Let’s just say… I’m at the bottom of the pack. I’m not really anyone.”

Shiro frowned, compassion softening the sharp lines of his face. “I don’t know enough about this world yet to know exactly what you mean. Care to explain?”

Keith took a large bite of salad to buy himself some time. How did he go about explaining this? _I’m an omega. I’m literally at the bottom of the barrell. Packs recruit omegas so they can bully them. It’s dangerous for me to join the wrong pack. I have incredibly sharp teeth and I’m light on my feet, it’s what keeps omegas alive, but I’m… nothing._ Instead he answered, “Not right now.”

The answer wasn’t what Shiro wanted to hear, but he wasn’t going to push. “Okay. Next time we’ll talk about all that.”

Keith allowed himself to relax, and took the opportunity to change the subject. “Damn this is good.”

Shiro laughed. “It really is. I wish it wasn’t so expensive or I’d come more often.”

“Maybe they have a coupon day,” Keith suggested easily.

“I don’t think this place knows what a coupon is,” he chuckled.

Keith felt his cheeks heatened when he watched Shiro laugh. “Probably not.”

“But I’m going to have to run to the next state to burn off the calories,” Shiro said as he patted his flat stomach.

“Hardly,” Keith said, “remember what I told you about needing lots of calories now.”

“I did notice that I’m hungry more often than I was before,” Shiro said as he finished his drink. “What do you typically eat?”

Another uncomfortable conversation for Keith. He pursed his lips. “Uh, you know, food.”

Shiro tilted his head, staring at Keith; his thin wrists, his defined cheekbones, and his slender stature. Keith wasn’t short, nor was he tall, but he did seem thinner than he should. Shiro had seen Keith without his shirt and knew that he wasn’t underweight, he had a very defined body and strong legs for running. _For running away from alpha wolves?_ he wondered. _Wolves like Sendak… or myself_

Keith noticed a sudden change in Shiro’s features. A moment ago he was relaxed and laughing, now he looked tense and worried. Keith set his beer down and leaned back in the booth. “Shiro? You okay?”

The other man swallowed hard. “I was just thinking about… how much I’m going to change.”

“You mean… like, monthly?”

“No,” Shiro said with a shake of his head, “no. I meant what if I end up like Sendak?”

Keith’s eyes widened and his mouth parted in surprise. “What?” he yelped.

“It’s just, so much has changed about me already,” Shiro pointed out.

Keith shook his head. “Shiro, you are _not_ Sendak. You aren’t a monster. You’re a good man, and you’ll continue to be a good man. You’re going to get stronger and more powerful, yes, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to become a monster.”

“It’s good to hear you say that,” Shiro spoke sincerely. “I’ve seen how power can corrupt people. But you’ll be there to keep me grounded, right?”

Keith shrugged. “I’ll do do my best.”

“Promise?”

“Yeah. I promise.”

“Great. Let’s get cheesecake.”

…

“I should have said no to the cheesecake,” Keith laughed as he and Shiro stepped out of the restaurant and into the night. Keith hadn’t realized how much time had passed until they stepped outside and were under the glow of yellow streetlights and were momentarily blinded by the bright glare of headlights from the street. The sky above was black and speckled the few stars that managed to shine through smog and the city’s ever present glow. Keith tilted his head up.

“It might kill us later, but I think it was worth it,” Shiro sighed heavily, full of contentment.

Keith smiled, glancing up at the taller man. “So um, yeah, this was fun. But I should go.”

“Do you want a lift home?”

“Sure, why not?” Keith said. Taking the bus at night was a completely different experience than the day. Of course he could run home and work off all the sugar from the brownie/oreo cheesecake he had. Shiro had had a piece of pumpkin and when he had offered Keith a bite, Keith’s head had nearly exploded. In return he offered a bite of his own to Shiro.

So this had not been a date? Keith’s mind was spinning.

“This way,” Shiro said as he stuffed his hand in the pocket of his jacket. The night was cool and the air surprisingly clean. He tilted his head up to the sky where the moon was glowing somewhere out of sight. “I have to tell you, I’m kind of excited for next month.”

Keith’s eyebrows went up in surprise. He mimicked the other man by shoving his hands in his pockets. “Seriously?”

“I had a dream last night,” Shiro explained as he lead Keith through a parking lot toward a black Dodge Charger. “It was intri--”

“So you did drive here?” Keith interrupted in surprise.

Shiro arched an eyebrow. “So?”

“With one hand?”

Shiro shrugged and tilted his chin up. “I’m a man of many talents, Keith.”

Keith felt his mouth go dry. And while he should not be focusing on what other _other_ talents Shiro had, he couldn’t help but ask, “Wh-what other talents do you have?”

Shiro, however, danced around the obvious answer that Keith was fishing for. “I’m an excellent Dungeon Master.”

It was not the answer that Keith expected, but it was the answer he needed at that moment. He burst into laughter, even having to step back and cover his mouth with his hand because he just couldn’t seem to stop. It was such a nerdy thing, and Keith didn’t buy it for a second.

“You are not a Dungeon Master,” he gasped. “You are absolutely the knight in shining armor.”

Shiro grinned, big and wide, as he unlocked the car. “Is that so? Well, then would you like to ride with me in my steed?”

It was so cheesy and corny, and Keith knew he should be nervous about getting in a car with a man who had just recently lost his arm, but instead he felt his heart thump and his cheeks heat up. Maybe it was the word “ride” that had been spoken from Shiro’s gorgeous lips, because Keith was imaging riding all kinds of things at that moment.

He cleared his throat. “Sure, why not,” he said, hoping his voice wasn’t as rusty as it felt. “If you’re sure.”

“Trust me,” Shiro said easily. “I thought this would be impossible, and I’d have to wait until I could get a prosthetic arm to drive again, but I ran errands all morning and it was a lot easier than I thought. It wasn’t all easy of course, but I think with practice I’ll do just fine.”

One part of that sentence really caught Keith’s attention, “You’re getting a prosthetic arm?”

“Lance said he might be able to help me,” Shiro said before disappearing into the car. 

Keith quickly dropped into the passenger seat. The car was way nicer than his rusty old Jeep. The interior was spotless and clean and it… it smelled… Immediately his senses were overwhelmed by Shiro’s rich, heady scent. 

Keith felt himself whine, but thankfully the radio came on with the car and muffled the sound. He closed his eyes for a second in an attempt to gather his senses. He didn’t even think about Shiro’s driving as they pulled out of the parking lot and into traffic, because all Keith could focus on was the warmth that was spreading into him from Shiro’s body just next to him, and the way his alpha scent was seeming to cover him, sink into him, and stick to his clothing. Normally around alpha wolves Keith was on his guard, but with Shiro, he felt all those walls just falling away. He felt warm, protected, comforted, and at peace.

Then Shiro started to sing with the radio, his voice soft and lifting over the heavy strum of guitar and the pounding of drums. Keith gulped, staring at the man as the streetlights shown over his face as they passed under them. Shiro was so confident and calm, driving with one had better than most people drove with both. 

Keith settled back in the seat, suddenly feeling exhausted. But it was more than that… he felt… safe.

He closed his eyes.

…

“Keith? I can’t believe you fell asleep.”

Shiro’s laughter pulled Keith from his sleep. He jumped in surprise, only to have the seatbelt jolt him back. Keith blinked groggily, staring into the other man’s face, which was bright with amusement.

Then he felt his face heat up and his ears grew hot and his heart thumped.

“Shit--did I really?” he stammered, even though it was obviously true. But it wasn’t just that, he had slumped over and had been leaning against Shiro’s shoulder. Keith blinked rapidly and wiped his hand over his mouth, hoping he hadn’t drooled while his brain tried to make sense of just what happened. 

Shiro had parked the car on the curb just outside Keith’s building. “I think you checked out right after we left the parking lot. You looked so cute, I couldn’t bring myself to wake you.”

Keith stared. _He thinks I’m cute? Oh my god._ ”I guess I’m more tired than I thought,” he muttered as a poor excuse.

“Maybe,” Shiro said with a tilt of his head. “So I guess I’ll uh, text you later? Or you can text me.”

“Sure, right, absolutely,” Keith agreed quickly stood from the car and stepped back toward the building while fishing his keys from his pocket. “I uh, this was fun. We’ll… have to do it again. Or whatever. You know.”

“Yeah,” Shiro said through the open passenger-side window. He smiled warmly. “Sleep well, Keith.”

He blushed harder and turned to the building. Keith knew not the run from predators, he knew not the turn back, he knew not the make eye contact. But at that moment, he turned back, met Shiro’s eyes, and raised his hand to wave. Shiro stared at him for a moment, his eyes reflecting the minimal lighting around the apartment building, glowing bright. Keith’s knees wobbled and he nearly collapsed before Shiro returned the wave and pulled back into traffic.

Keith gasped loudly, not realizing he had been holding his breath.

Oh god, he had it so bad. He was so fucking screwed.

...

“I’d call that a date.”

“It was not a date.”

Pidge shrugged as she adjusted the straps of her backpack. “You went to the fanciest pizza place in the city, fed each other cheesecake, and you slept on him all the way home. Sure, that’s not a date.”

Keith’s cheeks heated and he was worried for a moment that he might actually catch fire. “Not a date.”

“Well, it should have been,” Pidge said as she strolled down the next aisle of the organic foods grocery store, heading for the meat counter. “You two were made for each other.”

Keith rolled his eyes dramatically. “Stop.”

She snickered, craning her head to look at the taller man, “Why? It’s fun to tease you.”

“Whatever, shorty,” Keith sighed. 

They had to wait in line before reaching the butcher. Keith stood back, thumbing through his phone as Pidge picked out salmon and cuts of meat that her shapeshifter body needed to ingest to survive. Like werewolves, shapeshifters required a lot of calories and protein or else their bodies would suffer. Only difference was that shapeshifters always had control and never went psycho like a starving werewolf.

After picking out a few more items the two paid and left the store. The morning was bright and the air temperature was just starting to warm. Keith was grateful he had the day off, and he probably would still be asleep if Pidge hadn’t stopped by to ask him out for coffee and then together they had walked to the store. “So, what are your plans for tonight?” Pidge asked.

Keith opened his mouth to answer before snapping it shut. He gave her the side-eye. “Why?”

“It’s game night, fellow Rebel.”

“For fuck’s sake…”

“You joined,” Pidge pointed out with a sly grin. “I already texted Shiro. He’s game.”

Keith sighed. “Of course he is,” he sighed, “guy told me last night he was a Dungeon Master.”

Pidge howled with laughter. “What kind of dungeon?”

It took Keith a second to catch on, and when he did, his cheeks flared up. “Not that kind!”

She laughed, pushing against Keith’s shoulder as they walked. “Take a moment to imagine _that_ situation--”

“No--”

“Shiro in the dungeon, wearing leather and carrying a riding crop--”

“Stop!”

“And then, handcuffed to the--mmmf!” her voiced ended in a muffled squeal as Keith clamped his hand over her mouth. She wriggled free and jumped away, laughing. “Wow, Keith, I’ve never seen your face so red.”

“I hate you,” Keith muttered.

“I love you, too.”

“That’s touching.”

Keith froze. It wasn’t his voice that answered Pidge. He turned his head slowly to the alley just behind him. It was early in the morning and were people scattered everywhere, but there, just five feet away, was Sendak. And he wasn’t alone.

“Keith... “ Pidge hissed under her breath as she stepped behind him. 

“Stay behind me,” he growled. “Sendak, what the fuck do you want?”

“You know what I want,” the larger man said in a low, threatening voice. There was a patch covering his missing eye, and he had new scars across his cheek and mouth. Next to him were two men, each other buff and broad, with hungry yellow eyes. 

Hoping to buy time, Keith asked, “An opthamologist?”

One of Sendak’s men laughed, but Sendak’s frown only tightened. He stepped forward, leaving the shadows of the alley and crossing into the sunlight, completely oblivious to anyone that was walking around them. Keith watched from the corner of his eye has a group of girls stopped and turned, crossing the street.

“I went back for the arm,” Sendak said after a stretch of silence. His lips pulled back into a vile sneer as he showed off his teeth. “A bit bitter tasting, not quite what I expected from someone like that. Might have been because the flesh was rotting.”

“You didn’t…” Pidge gaped from behind Keith. “You’re really insane, aren’t you?”

“A monster,” Keith corrected.

“We’re all monsters here,” Sendak said as he tilted his head up to the sunlight. “We’ve all devoured the flesh of men.”

Keith’s eyes darted around. While most people were giving them a wide berth, that didn’t mean they weren’t within hearing. He needed to get Pidge away from Sendak before a fight broke out. He growled low in his chest. “Some of us learn from our mistakes.”

“The only mistake I’ve made was not killing you the moment I caught you,” Sendak snarled. “And I’ll not make it again, Keith. You, and that new alpha of your’s, and all your little friends, this pathetic little pack you’ve cooked up, you’ll all be beneath my teeth, and I will be the very last thing you ever see.”

“Fuck you--” Pidge snarled as she stepped out and stomped toward the werewolf, only stopping when Keith lunged and caught her, dragging her back. She snarled, her voice momentarily gnarled and gravely.

“Stop!” Keith hissed. “We’re in public and we can’t--win this.” It nearly killed him to admit it, but it was the truth. Sendak was no longer alone, and while the two men behind him looked like generic bad-guys from the Scooby Doo cartoon, he knew they were beta wolves, and they weren’t afraid of getting violent, even in a public street.

Sendak sneered, leaning down to Pidge’s eye level. “Maybe I’ll keep you. I’ve always wanted a cat.”

“I’ll do more than scratch your fucking eyes out--”

Having had enough, Keith wrapped his arms around Pidge and hauled her up and back. He turned, stepping off the curb and into traffic, just dodging a bus. He needed put distance between them and the perpetrators. 

“We’ve got to warn the others,” Keith said once they reached the other side of the four-lane road and he set Pidge down on her feet. “We couldn’t fight them here.”

Pidge was trembling with not only anger, a heavy wave of fear mixed with her scent. She watched as Sendak turned, morphing back into the shadows. Once she was sure they were gone, she turned to Keith.

“When I first met you I didn’t want to have anything to do with you,” she deadpanned. “This is why.”

Keith’s eyes widened and he stepped back, startled. “Pidge--”

“And if I didn’t love you so damn much I might actually hate you at this very moment,” she continued. She sighed, shoulders slumping and eyes softening. “We are a pack, even if we are pathetic, and that means we’re going to deal with this problem together. Because _ohana_ means family, and family means nobody gets behind.”

He was a bit dumbstruck. He had considered Pidge his friend for a long time now, for a while she was his only friend, but he had no idea that she thought of him as family. He felt guilty for the way he had treated her in the past. Never cruel, but he hadn’t always made time for her like he should have. “How exactly are we going to do that? Shiro hasn’t even gone through his first full moon yet, and Lance and Hunk are only human.”

“It’s simple, we need more teeth.”

“You’re not suggesting turning them I hope.”

Pidge rolled her eyes as she plucked her glasses off her face and used the hem of her shirt to clean the lenses. “Uh, no. Absolutely no way. I meant we’re going to need some more friends. I, personally, know lots of shapeshifters, but not one will lift a paw to help a werewolf. Well, Matt would, but he’s in Hawaii at the moment with his fiance.”

Keith tilted his head, confused. “So…?”

“So what about that nurse that saved your life when you were institutionalized?”

They were walking toward home now, Keith constantly checking over his shoulder and sniffing the wind. “Allura? Why would she help us?”

“I’m not necessarily saying she’ll help us kill Sendak,” Pidge said as she pulled out her phone, “but you and Shiro need some training. You still can’t change on your own, and he’s… he’s a nuclear bomb of untapped potential. Someone needs to teach him.”

Keith wrinkled his nose but didn’t argue. Everything she said was true. “So what do you want me to do?”

Pidge held up her phone, showing Keith that she had just sent a text out to the group: **Tonight’s agenda: Voltron at 7pm. Lance bring your own damn money.** “Call her, have her meet us tonight. The arcade is safe, Sendak will have no idea we are meeting there.”

Pulling his phone from his pocket Keith brought up his short list of contacts. He had saved Allura’s number, but he hadn’t talked to her in years. He’d felt bad about it for a long time, but by the time he decided to say anything to her he decided that it had simply been too long. She probably thought he was either dead or a self-absorbed ass who couldn’t even text the woman that saved his life.

**Keith (9:47am): Allura, it’s Keith. I know it’s been a long time. I’m sorry about that. But I need to talk to you.**


	6. Voltron

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I listened to way too much Kpop while writing this. It's not an important detail to know, I just thought I'd share. As always thanks for reading and commenting, love you guys! xoxo

"Do we have to pick up anyone else?" Keith asked as he waited just outside Pidge's apartment door. Pidge was tugging on her sneakers and double-checking her hair, which she had styled in something that only Pidge could possibly pull off. She was wearing a black tank top that showed the neon green sports bra underneath and camouflage patterned pants. 

"No," she answered as she grabbed her shoulder bag. "Lance and Hunk are carpooling and Shiro said he would meet us. What about Allura?"

Keith looked at his phone. Allura had sent him a text back earlier than afternoon, expressing how happy she was to hear from him, and that she thought about him often. Keith had asked if she had time to meet at Voltron, but after that, he didn't hear back.

He shrugged. "I guess we'll see."

Pidge pursed her lips before stepped out the door, stopping to lock it behind her. Then she and Keith headed down the stairway together. "If she doesn't show we'll have to move onto Plan B, I guess."

"Which is?"

"Under construction."

Keith smirked. "Right."

"When do you think Sendak will attack us again?" Pidge asked as they stepped outside. She hesitated only a step, but there were no strange scents around them. She followed Keith to his Jeep. "Do you think he'll wait until the full moon? That would be convenient."

He was quiet as he slipped into the driver's seat and waited until Pidge was buckled in before he started the Jeep and pulled out the building's parking area. Finally he shrugged, "I think that's exactly what he would do. Sendak has never come after me in human skin, not to fight anyway. He's threatened me a lot, and he's um, stalked me, but he's never attacked me. I think he likes a good bloody fight, and nothing is bloodier than a werewolf fight."

"Except now he has friends," Pidge muttered.

"And now we has friends," Keith agreed. He gripped the steering wheel tight. _But we have Shiro._ "You know... I know we're like, this little pack or whatever, but I don't expect you to fight this fight, Katie. I don't want you to get hurt or die because of me."

Pidge looked at him, her large eyes reflecting in the darkness, glowing. "Okay, two things. First, never call me Katie again or I'll cut off your nads, second, Keith, we're family, I told you that. I'll beat it into your stupid head if I have to. I will fight with you. Besides! Closing my teeth around Sendak's neck seems the right cure for my nightmares."

Keith shook his head as he laughed softly. "Okay, okay, I submit."

"Oh, say that to Shiro and you're golden."

"Fuck," Keith grunted, "Pidge, do not say anything like that tonight around Shiro, you hear me? We aren't dating, we aren't a couple, and I don't even know if he likes me. We had dinner, it's not a big deal. And I fell asleep, so what, I was tired. I don't want anyone saying or doing anything that I might, you know, freak Shiro out. Or make him think I'm a crazy stalker."

The shapeshifter sighed dramatically. "You're a real pain in my ass, Kogane."

"You're not the first person to tell me that."

It was a longer drive to Voltron, the restaurant and video arcade was on the other side of the city. There was no available parking around the building so they settled for several blocks away in a public parking lot. Pidge played on her phone, all her attention focused on the game in front of her nose, and only avoided walking into traffic and into a street light because Keith was there to grab her elbow and steer her to safety.

"Yooooo!" howled a voice from ahead of them. Keith felt irritation prickle through him.

Lance and Hunk were standing just outside the restaurant with Shiro. Keith swallowed hard and missed a step. He heard Hunk's jovial laughter echoing up the sidewalk as he righted himself. Keith very decidedly did not spare Pidge a look, knowing that she was smirking at him, and instead shoved his hands in the pockets of his jacket and walked toward the group.

"Nice one," Lance smirked when he and Pidge reached them. 

Keith promptly ignored the young man, turning to Shiro instead. "Hey."

"Hey again," Shiro greeted with a twinkling smile. "How's your day been?"

“It’s been interesting.”

Pidge stuffed her phone into her pocket. "Let's go inside, get a table, and then talk about that."

"Is something wrong?" Hunk asked. He was wearing the Legend of Zelda hoodie that he had loaned to Shiro, and Keith felt slightly jealous that Hunk was wearing something Shiro had.

 _You're an idiot,_ Keith quickly scolded himself.

"Yeah," Pidge answered, "let's go. Inside gentleman."

Keith fell in line behind everyone, and was not looking forward to the conversation they were going to have once they all settled. The thought of discussing Sendak and their possible deaths was momentarily forgotten because _holy shit_ this was perhaps the coolest restaurant Keith had ever been to in his life. It was like Chuck E.Cheese without the creepy robots and for adults only.

Voltron was the perfect mixture of beer, food, and video arcade games. The lighting was dark but everywhere there were neon lights, brightly colored lamps and pendants, and there was a huge UFO-shaped light hanging over the bar where two large televisions which were broadcasting live gaming channels. The bar was huge and rich and filled with people who were talking, laughing, watching the games and eating. There were booths and tables spread through the main dining area, and through a huge open doorway were the game rooms.

And there was nerd paraphernalia was everywhere. The entire restaurant had a 1980’s science-fiction aesthetic to it. Everything Keith could think of was there. The walls in the dining room were covered in posters and wall art; one wall had a mural of a massive Gundam-like robot fighting an even larger monster in the middle of a city, Keith thought it looked like Tokyo. He saw life sized mannequins from movies like Star Wars, Alien, Back to the Future, even The Last Starfighter, one of Keith’s favorite movies as a child. And when he looked to the ceiling he saw that it had been painted like the Sistine Chapel but with scenes from various Godzilla movies.

"Oh my god," Keith heard Shiro gasp, "this place is amazing!"

"Right!?" agreed Lance with a hop and spreading his arms out wide. "This is like, _our_ place, right Hunk?"

“Our favorite place,” Pidge agreed.

"They even named a table after us!" Lance chimed.

"No, no they didn't," Hunk said with a shake of his head. "Shay just knows the days we come and she keeps it reserved."

"Who's Shay?" Shiro asked with a grin.

Hunk's cheeks blushed and he shrugged. "She's a waitress here--"

"She's his giiiiirlfriend," Lance sang as he slung a skinny arm around Hunk’s shoulders.

"She is not," Hunk hissed, eyes darting around. "She's just my friend!"

"She's totally into you," Pidge agreed. She was leading them to a table for four that was just beneath the mural and had a 'reserved' sign on it. Before they reached it she snatched up an extra chair from a nearby empty table. 

They settled at the table, Pidge next to Keith, Lance and Hunk across from them, and Shiro on the end in the stolen chair. Lance promptly sprang up, announcing he was going to the restroom. Hunk meanwhile, with a deep blush and a shy smile, said he was going to find Shay. "So we can order some food," was his excuse.

Shiro chuckled, leaning his elbow on the table. "This place is amazing, Pidge."

"Right?' she said. "And over there is the rewards booth. If you get enough tickets you get a prize!"

"Like a plastic ring?" Keith asked flatly.

"Well, I got cat ears headband, but you do what you do," Pidge smirked. She turned just as Hunk and Lance came back, and walking with them was a gorgeous dark-skinned girl with a curly ponytail and wearing an alien antenna headband. "Hi Shay."

The girl waved and introduced herself to Keith and Shiro, seeing as they were new. “I’ve never seen you two here before,” she said sweetly.

“They’re new to the Alliance,” Hunk said, which caused Keith to groan and Shiro to laugh.

“We’re cadets who failed at the flight academy,” he said.

 _Oh my god, he’s a huge nerd,_ Keith realized with a surprise little smile. The thought that Shiro liked Star Wars, Godzilla and huge robot mechs only made him more endearing, and Keith felt a fuzzy warmth wash over him.

After a brief chat Shay left them with menus and promised to circle back soon for their orders and to talk more after she had tended her other tables. Hunk watched her go with lovesick eyes.

"Pidge, you said there was something you wanted to talk to us about?" Lance asked as he flipped to the dessert menu.

Pidge shifted in her seat, glancing at Keith. "Did she text you back?"

"She?" Hunk, Lance, and Shiro all repeated together.

Keith wrinkled his nose. "It's not like that--" he said as he checked his phone. There was still no reply from Allura, which Keith thought was very odd. He shook his head and finally looked around. "She didn't, but that's not like her. She's usually--"

A voice, sharp and feminine, with a soft British accent, cut him off, "Oh! Keith!"

Keith twisted in his chair before standing quickly. Allura was crossing toward him, a huge smile plastered to her face. She was just like he remembered her: ethereal and graceful, with dark skin and stunning white hair that was currently pinned up in a messy bun, with long lose locks hanging around her face and ears. She greeted Keith a surprisingly strong hug.

"Oh, it's so good to see you!" she exclaimed. "It's been so long, but I never stopped thinking about you!"

Realizing how this may look, Keith quickly cleared his throat and turned to the group. "Uh, everyone, this is Allura. She and I are old acquaintances--"

"Friends," she corrected as she nudged him with her elbow, "we're friends."

"Right," Keith said as he scrubbed his hand through his hair. "Anyway, this is Pidge, Shiro, Lance and Hunk."

Lance stood up so fast his chair toppled over behind him. "I'm Lance--" he gasped.

Allura smiled at him. "Hello, Lance. It's nice to meet you all! But I have to admit, I have no idea why I'm here. Keith just text me out of nowhere asking me to meet here." She looked everyone over, her eyes lingering on Shiro and Pidge, knowing instantly that they weren't human. She gave Keith a curious look.

"We were just going to get into that, actually," Keith said as he turned, grabbing another extra chair and setting it on the other end. "I think first we need to... um..." he frowned, not sure how to go about this. He didn't want to just out Allura as a werewolf, not sure how she would feel about it. "Okay. Like I said, this is Pidge and she's a cougar shifter. Shiro is a new werewolf. Lance and Hunk are human, but Hunk's aunt is a siren."

Everyone except Pidge was staring at Keith in confusion. Allura caught on quickly however and said, "Oh, I see. I'm a werewolf, as well."

Shiro realized with a start that what she said was true. He hadn't noticed her scent at first, but now when he focused on it he could smell it. Allura smelled feminine and rich, like the forest after a heavy rain. "How do you know Keith?" he asked.

Allura licked her lips and glanced at Keith, the obvious question of _how much do your friends know about your life?_ was written across her face. She arched an eyebrow at him.

"She um," Keith fidgeted, "she helped me out when I was going through a hard time. When I first became a werewolf."

"The nurse?" Shiro asked with a little frown.

"Yes, well, that's enough about me," Allura said when she saw how Keith fidgeted and refused to make eye contact with the humans at the table, "what about you? This seems like a fun group but like I said, I'm not sure why I'm here."

"Your voice is amazing," Lance softly breathed.

"Um, thank you?" Allura said with a surprised smile.

Lance's eyes grew huge. "Did I--speak out loud?"

"Yes you did," Hunk and Pidge both answered while snickering.

Keith could have laughed with the others, could have smirked and rolled his eyes, but he was in the same position as Lance. He glanced at Shiro, who was smiling and watched the others. There were little laugh lines in the corner of his eyes when he smiled, and the scar across his nose stood out a little pinker when he wrinkled his nose. He was wearing the same diamond earrings as the other night, but tonight he had done something different with his hair. It looked soft and was combed back in waves. 

"Keith? Hello?"

Keith, thankfully, turned to Pidge before Shiro caught him straight-out ogling him like a love-sick teenager. He cleared his throat. "Right. Allura, I wish I had called you for a different reason, but the fact is that I--we need your help. There's a werewolf alpha around here known as Sendak, and he's put a target on each of us."

"Woah--what?" Hunk sputtered as Lance sat straight up and yelped, "When did this happen?!"

"You saw Sendak again?" Shiro asked with a frown.

"Pidge and I did, this morning," Keith said.

"He has two other werewolves with him now, too," Pidge added. 

"This is a problem, Keith," Allura acknowledged, "but why did you call me?"

Keith dropped his eyes to the table with shame, "I can't change on my own yet. Not even a little. And Shiro hasn't gone through his first moon yet. So if Sendak is coming after us, I need to know how to... become a wolf. And Shiro..."

Shiro cocked his head, frowning, but quiet and curious.

"I don't want him to experience the trauma I did," Keith said. 

Allura was quiet for a moment. She nodded her head and exhaled, leaning back in the chair. "I see."

"I know this isn't what you expected to hear from me, and I'm sorry," Keith said. "But Sendak is a serious problem and we need to start taking him more seriously."

"You said serious twice," Lance pointed out.

Keith glared at him and bit back a smart remark about feeding Lance to the murderous werewolf. Instead he looked at Allura, who was thinking very deeply.

"Have you guys decided on your order?"

Shay popped up over Hunk's shoulder, making them all jump. In a flurry they glanced through the menus, ordering brightly colored alcoholic drinks, burgers and french fries, and a appetizer platter to share.

"You all look so serious today," Shay mused as she wrote down their orders, "Is everything okay?"

"It's fine," Hunk answered, gazing up at her lovingly. "Just a bullying problem."

Shay shook her head. "I never liked bullies. I hope you find a solution to your problem."

After she had left, the group all glanced at Keith and then Allura, who finally shifted in her seat.

"All right," she said, "I'll help you." She looked at Shiro, colorful eyes digging into him. Shiro shrank back somewhat in surprise. "The power I sense in you is something I've never felt before, Shiro. I would have thought you were a seasoned alpha, not a new pup."

Shiro blinked and glanced at Keith. "Really?"

"The potential you carry is extraordinary," she said, "you're a good match for an omega like Keith."

Keith choked and stared at her, wide-eyed. "What?" he crooked.

Allura laughed, soft and lifting. "I meant as a packmate, Keith. All omegas need a good alpha at their side."

Shiro glanced at Keith. "Keith started to tell me about alphas and omegas but we didn't get far on the subject. Do you think you could tell me more?"

Keith flushed. He stood suddenly, "I need to use the restroom," he said and turned, leaving the table behind. 

After using the urinal, he washed his hands and stood staring at his reflection. Right now Allura was telling Shiro and the others all about alphas, betas and omegas, and Shiro would learn that Keith was destined to be the pack's punching bag or, under the wrong alpha, someone's bed warmer. Shiro would realize that he needed to find beta wolves to fill his pack, and he would... leave.

Keith bowed his head and leaned over the sink, fingers curling around the porcelain rim. If Shiro decided to leave, Keith wouldn't stop them. Just because he was crushing hard didn't mean he had any right to tell Shiro how to live his life.

After splashing water on his face Keith returned to the table, just as their food arrived.

When he sat down Shiro gave him a long, calculating look. Keith purposely acted like he didn't notice and instead focused on the food in front of him. After a second thought he grabbed his drink, a blue raspberry slush with vodka and a rainbow straw. Keith took a long drink and nearly choked on the bombardment of sugar and alcohol.

"Drink that slowly," Pidge warned, "or we'll be carrying you out of here."

Keith cleared his throat. "No shit."

"Keith, let's meet tomorrow to talk more about your training," Allura suggested as she cut her chicken burger in half, "because tonight I'd rather have fun. This place is so charming!"

Lance laughed. "I know all the best games. I can show you."

"Oh, that's fantastic," she chirped.

Keith arched an eyebrow. Allura was giving Lance a long look as he ate, tilting her head, sniffing the air, and--yes, she was definitely checking him out. Which was a relief for Keith, maybe he wouldn't have to sit and listen to Lance flirt with Shiro while his world fell apart.

Next to him Shiro snorted when he took a long drink of the tea he had ordered. "Holy shit," he coughed. "This is toxic."

"Too many will kill you," Pidge laughed. "But you're a big guy. You'll be fine."

Shiro chuckled. "I guess we'll find out."

Keith sat quiet while the rest of the group talked and laughed, slowly eating his steak burger and onion rings, occasionally reaching for something off the appetizer platter. By the time he finished his food he had downed the rest of his drink and was told by Pidge that he had a blue tongue.

"That's great," Keith muttered.

"Balance it out," Pidge suggested as she dunked her chicken wings in Ranch sauce, "order a raspberry one."

Keith frowned. "Won't that... make my tongue purple?"

Hunk giggled. "Yup!"

"You guys are the worst," Shiro laughed, glancing at Keith.

Keith swallowed hard. "I'm going--to um, game. Yeah." Lance and Allura had already left together, her giggling while Lance showboated about his many gaming talents. He steered clear of them.

...

"Is Keith okay?" Shiro asked as Keith hastily left the table.

Pidge, who had been calculating how many tickets she needed to win a certain item from the prize booth, looked up. "Oh, he's always kind of like that."

"Like what?"

"Defensive."

Shiro bobbed his head. "I've noticed. Is that... an omega-thing, or a Keith-thing?"

Pidge's lips smirked. "You'll have to ask him."

He rested his elbow on the table and his chin in his hand, "Not going to help me out?"

"If you want to get to know Keith, then go get to know him," Pidge suggested.

"I've been trying," Shiro confessed. "He has a lot of walls up."

"He has a lot of reasons to," Pidge said with a shrug. "But he's... he's not as tough as he lets on. He just needs the right person in his life, I think. Maybe you?"

Shiro's eyebrows went up. "In... in what way?"

"Whatever way you want," Pidge said, struggling to keep her promise that she wouldn't tell Shiro that Keith was head-over-heels for him. "You guys just met. It takes time to build a friendship."

"That's very true," Shiro agreed. "I guess it has... hell, only been a couple of days. It's been such a hurricane that I feel like I've known you guys for ages."

Pidge smirked. "That's because we're awesome people, Shiro."

"I guess so," he chuckled. He stood up, "Well, I guess I'll go try to game with one hand. This should be fun and not at all embarrassing."

"There are plenty of things to do," Pidge suggested, "you'll find something that suits you."

"Thanks, Pidge."

As it turned out, Pidge was right, there were lots of games Shiro could participate in with one hand. It wasn’t just arcades in the large room, there was skee ball and basketball, Wheel of Fortune, gambling machines that dolled out tickets instead of money; ring toss, whack-a-mole, trivia games and air hockey. There were so many different games and stations that Shiro realized quickly he could be here for an entire day and not have the chance to play everything..

He made his way around the throngs of people, playing this game and that, whatever he could managed single handedly, and building up tickets as he did. But there was one arcade game that was calling his name, and he stopped in front of it.

“Need a hand? No-no pun intended!” Hunk asked as he appeared at Shiro’s side.

Shiro smiled, no offense taken from Hunk’s stumble. “I loved Mortal Kombat as a kid. It looks really fun.”

Hunk stepped up next to him. “Well, how about you control the joystick, and I’ll do the buttons?”

Shiro tilted his head back and forth. “That might work.”

“Oooooh! Did someone say Mortal Kombat?!” Lance exclaimed as he and Allura joined them. “I accept that challenge!”

“We didn’t challenge you,” Hunk laughed.

“No, let’s do it,” Shiro said as he felt a rush of excitement. “Let’s see how rusty I am.”

“Not to brag but I hold records on this game,” Lance said with a sly grin.

“Really?” Allura asked in surprise, “is your name on the high scores list?”

“Well--it would be,” Lance sputtered, “if there was one. Anyway! I rock. Let’s go Shiro!”

“And Hunk,” Hunk added, “we’re a team. You can call us Shunk.”

“Please don’t,” Shiro said with a glance at the other man.

Lance snickered and Allura giggled. After putting money in the coin slot and sitting through the opening introductions, it was time to chose their characters. Shiro picked Raiden while Lance opted for Johnny Cage. Then the music started and the game loaded.

Lance hopped in place. “Get ready for me to kick your ass.”

“You wish,” Shiro said with a devious grin, “Hunk is my secret weapon.”

“Hunk sucks at Mortal Kombat!”

“I really do,” Hunk admitted sheepishly.

Shiro snickered. “Bring it, Lance.”

It was a close fight, and Shiro suspected that Lance was pitying him before Johnny Cage decapitated Raiden with his Fatality move. Lance hooted, throwing his hands up, and did a little dance. Shiro suspected this was all to impress Allura, who was laughing and shaking her head.

“Again,” Shiro said, “we were just warming up.”

Five games and four loses later Shiro was just about ready to give up. Lance was good at this, and while Shiro was getting the hang on moving his character around, it really was Hunk who was his handicap. They tried switching once, but that was even worse, with Hunk sputtering and yelping every time Johnny Cage charged at his avatar.

“Well, I think--”

“Hey, Keith!” Hunk shouted when he spotted the reclusive young man walking by. “Come here!”

Keith looked over with a quizzical frown. “Yeah?”

“Help Shiro kick Lance’s ass,” Hunk said as he stepped aside and motioned for Keith take his spot.

Keith blinked and assessed the situation. _Oh, right._ It took two hands to play the game. He realized what had been going on and hesitated before stepping up to Shiro’s side, which put him right against the taller man.

Shiro noticed immediately the difference in Hunk and Keith, and it wasn’t just because Keith was a werewolf. While Hunk had been more than comfortable standing near Shiro, leaning against him, even jumping and pushing shoulders and hugging him for their one win, Keith seemed to leaned away and was trying very hard not to touch Shiro.

Was it because Keith was shy? Or was it something else? Shiro didn’t know, but he wanted to find out. Later.

“Let’s make this a fair fight,” Allura suggested as she touched Lance’s hand, pulling it away from the joystick. “I’ll control where your ninja moves, and you make him fight.”

Lance had turned red from his neck to his ears when Allura slid her hand over his own, only to take control the joystick herself. She stood against him with a soft smile.

“Y-yeah,” Lance stammered. “Absolutely, whatever you want.”

Shiro watched them with amusement. He had a feeling Allura could ask Lance for his bank pin and he’d give it to her. He looked down at Keith, who had bowed his head and was staring very intensely at the game screen. He nudged him. “Ready?”

Keith looked up with a start. “Uh, yeah.”

“You think this makes any difference?” Lance asked, “Keith sucks at this worse than Hunk!”

Keith glared daggers at the other man. Before he could say something smart, Shiro answered, “Let’s find out.”

When the game started Shiro and Lance picked completely different characters to fight each other. This game started off rocky however, as Allura was not schooled in arcade games and was continuously running her character in the wrong direction or causing her to move when she was about to make an attack. And while Shiro expected Lance to grow angry at this, he noticed that the young man was actually laughing and giving Allura tips and suggestions without once sounding snarky or mean.

Keith, on the other hand, was amazing at the game, but also silent. He grunted now and again, or hissed when their avatar took a particular bad hit, but otherwise he was quiet. He was also still, not leaning against Shiro or bumping into him in a moment of excitement like Hunk had.

They played five games, winning three and losing two. Allura clapped her hands happily, “What an amazing team-building exercise!”

“Yeah,” Lance agreed. “That was pretty fun. I never knew Keith could have fun.”

Keith wrinkled his nose and stood, arms crossed tightly across his chest. “I know how to have fun.”

“I doubt that,” Lance said with his signature smirk. 

“I had fun just now!” Keith exclaimed as he threw his hands up.

“Did you? Because it didn’t look like it,” Lance challenged with a sneer.

Keith wrinkled his nose and turned abruptly. “I need a drink,” he grumbled.

Lance sighed. “Jeez, sorry,” he grumbled.

“Children,” Shiro sighed, “you’re all children.”

Allura laughed. “Humans.”

“Hey,” Lance said, pressing his hand to his chest, “I’ll have you know that I’m pretty dashing for a human.”

The she-wolf regarded him carefully. “You’re certainly interesting.”

Shiro turned, leaving the two to talk, and followed Keith to the bar. He waited, not wanting to crowd the young man, and waited until Keith turned around with a bottle of water. Shiro arched an eyebrow. “Water?”

Keith started, surprised that Shiro was behind him. “Oh I uh, drove,” he said and held up the bottle, “one drink is good enough for me.”

Shiro nodded. “Very responsible.”

“Yup, that’s me,” Keith said as he twisted off the lid to take a long drink.

“Ah! Found you!” Pidge yelled as she ran for them. She grabbed them both by their hands. “Let’s go!”

“Where?” Shiro asked, startled by the small girl’s strength. “Pidge?”

“The photo booth!” she said and dragged them to a room in the back where several large booths sat. Hunk and Lance were standing at one while talking. Pidge shoved Keith and Shiro forward. “Everyone in!”

“We-we aren’t going to all fit,” Keith stammered in alarm. 

“Yes we will. Shiro, you first,” she said as she moved the sheet and pushed him in. Then she grabbed Keith and pushed him in, but before he could sit Hunk was shoved in. Then Lance and Pidge joined.

“This isn’t going to work,” Keith grunted, “just what--”

He stopped when he realized that Lance had sat in Hunk’s lap and Pidge had wedged herself between the three of them, half-sitting on Hunk’s lap with Lance, and that left Keith to… He shook his head, breath hitching as panic started to rush through him. He was _not--_

Shiro blushed and shrugged. “It’s just for a second. I’m okay with it.”

The man’s consent did not make Keith feel any better. But, unless he shoved the other three out of the way, he was not getting out of the booth until these photos were taken. So finally, he stiffly turned around and tried very hard to sit on Shiro’s lap without touching him-- until Shiro’s arm wrapped around him and pulled him back and Keith was sitting in his lap with his back pressed against the man’s muscular chest and his breath in his ear. Shiro shifted until he was comfortable, which only made Keith close his eyes.

Keith held his breath as his heart started to pound. His palms started to sweat and he--

“You look like a strawberry,” Lance laughed. “Can I get these photos enlarged?”

Keith threw him a glare while behind him, Shiro laughed. The vibrations and breath on his neck made Keith gulp.

“Shut up, Lance,” Pidge threatened as she reached forward, hitting the button for the photos to start.

There was nothing Keith could do about it now. The camera started to flash and while everyone laughed, smiled, threw up peace signs and waved at the camera, he could only sit and stare either down at his feet or off to the side, his face pulled in a panicked frown. It wasn’t until the last photo that Shiro shifted behind him, leaning forward to speak in his ear.

“If you’re that uncomfortable we could switch places?” the man suggested.

Oh, that didn’t help, not one fucking bit. Keith scrunched his shoulders and turned to speak to him. “Oh--no--it’s not…”

Their faces were dangerously close. Shiro still hand his arm around Keith. Keith could see the flecks of color in the man’s eyes, the details on the scar across his nose, the fullness of his lips. He could smell him… more now than he could before. He snapped his mouth shut and stood, jostling Pidge. 

“I have to go--” he said as he unceremoniously climbed around the others and sprinted from the booth.

He didn’t look back.


	7. Compassion

It was three o’clock in the morning. The night was quiet and the grass around him was still. Keith sat in the middle of the park, knees pulled tightly to his chest, eyes staring blankly ahead. It wasn’t until a shadow melted from the brush and a pair of yellow eyes blinked at him did Keith snap out of his trance. Nevertheless he didn’t move, not even when the cougar slinked up to him and raised a paw.

The impact was hard enough to make Keith wince, but not enough to knock him over. He closed his eyes, turning his head away as the large cat let out a low, displeasing growl. Then, abruptly, it knocked heads with him and purred.

“Stop it,” Keith muttered as he leaned away. “Just leave me alone, Pidge.”

The cougar flicked her round ears and wrinkled her nose, which made her whiskers twitch. The large cat walked around the sulking man, rubbing against him and purring, even swatting at him with her heavy tail. But Keith wasn’t interested in her affection, he only turned away whenever she tried to get in his face.

After trying to knock him over again and nuzzle his face, only to have Keith turn away, the cougar stopped, stepped back, and started to change. Keith’s eyes flickered over the shapeshifter as animal became human. It was more magic and beauty than any werewolf transformation. And when the change was finished, Pidge sat in the grass, fully clothed, with a compassionate expression.

“Keith,” she sighed, “what happened?”

He closed his eyes and looked away. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Pidge scooted over until she was sitting next to him, and mimicked him by pulling up her knees. “I’m sorry that I made you get in that photo booth. I knew you were uncomfortable, I was too selfish to notice.”

“It’s not your fault and don’t apologize,” Keith grunted. He swallowed hard before raising his head. Before looking at her he roughly ran his hand over his face, wiping it dry. “It’s my fault, my problem. I… I just couldn’t… I can’t do this, Pidge.”

She tilted her head. “Do what?”

“This,” he said, gesturing at nothing specifically. “I can’t…”

Pidge settled against Keith, leaning against him. “What are you so afraid of?” she asked. When Keith refused to answer, she continued, “You don’t need to be afraid of your feelings, Keith.”

He snorted. “All feelings have done is hurt me.”

“How do you mean?” she asked. She waited a moment, and when Keith didn’t answer, she continued with, “Do you want to tell me about it? I’m a good listener.” She leaned on his shoulder and gazed up at him, purposely making her eyes look bigger and pouting. 

Her expression managed to break Keith’s solemn face for just a moment. He exhaled softly and said, “My mom left when I was a baby, I never knew her. She just… left. My dad never told me why. And then he died, leaving me with no one.”

“That’s horrible,” Pidge said softly. “What happened after that?”

“I went to the orphanage,” he said. “I was… bounced around between different foster parents. But no one wanted the angry boy who just wanted to go home and be left alone and cried himself to sleep every night. I finally ran away when I was sixteen and just… went off on my own.”

Pidge frowned sadly, staring at the young man next to her. She shook her head. “I’m sorry, Keith.”

“Everyone leaves,” he murmured into his knees. “Sooner or later…”

“I’m still here,” she pointed out. “Lance, Hunk, they’re here. And Shiro, Keith, he isn’t going anywhere.”

Keith huffed. “He’ll leave,” he said very quietly, but very confidently, “after his first moon. He’ll realize he wants a real pack, with strong wolves, and he’ll leave. And I won’t stop him. Because who am I do that? What have… I ever…”

Pidge grunted and turned, kneeling next to Keith and pulling him forward into a crushing embrace. She felt him stiffen before slowly relaxing, and then he was leaning into her, and finally wrapping his arms around her and hugging her back. She combed her fingers through the long strands of his black hair and pressed her cheek to the top of his head.

“Keith,” she sighed, “trusting people is hard. But sometimes you have to have try, you have to step out of your bubble and into the danger zone, and sure, you may get hurt, or you may find something you’ve been looking for your entire life.”

“And what’s that?” he asked, voice muffled.

“A family.”

…

After saying good-night to Pidge, Keith retreated back to his apartment. He shuffled through the darkness, not bothering to do anything more than kick off his shoes, before belly-flopping onto the bed with loud _umph._ He closed his eyes, exhaustion making his limbs heavy, when he felt his phone vibrate and chime in his pocket.

It had been doing that ever since he’d ran out of the restaurant like… a coward.

With more effort than it should have taken, Keith grabbed his phone from his pocket and dropped it onto the pillow next to his face. The bright light from the screen made him wince, and he was about to shove the the phone under the pillow and go to sleep, when he saw that Shiro had texted him five times.

After gathering his courage Keith swiped the phone, opening the conversation.

**Shiro (9:05pm): Keith? Where did you go? Are you okay?**

**Shiro (9:20pm): I’m sorry if I did something to make you uncomfortable. Can you please text me back when you can?**

**Shiro (11:45pm): I hope I’m not bugging you. I just want to make sure you’re okay.**

**Shiro (1:01am): Text me in the morning. Please. I want to talk to you.**

**Shiro (3:30am): Sleep well.**

Keith blinked his eyes which were suddenly wet. He flipped to the next message, which was from Hunk.

**Hunk (9:40pm): Hey man, I don’t know what happened back there, but we’re all worried about you. It was a really fun night, and we should do it again real soon if you’re okay with it. We need to play more Mortal Kombat and beat Lance.**

The next three messages were from Lance, and every one was a zoomed in and cropped picture that had been taken in the photo booth. One was a close-up of Hunk, Pidge and Lance, the second was Pidge and Shiro, and the third was Keith in Shiro’s lap, and while Keith was looking away, his face hidden by his bangs, Shiro was sitting with a wide smile and bunny ears from Pidge’s hand. His eyes were bright and sparkly, his hair was perfection, and he seemed so comfortable and content with Keith in his lap.

Keith turned his face into the pillow, tears running down his face. His breath caught in a sob and he curled into a fetal position, clutching the pillow to his chest and face as sobs made him shake. 

He let the tears fall, and he cried for the first time in years. All the pain and anxiety that he had bottled up for years rushed out of him in loud, hiccuping sobs. He cried until his eyes were dry and his nose was red and runny and pillow damp. His lungs hurt from gasping for breath and his head started to throb. But when he was done, when he took that last gasp and the sobs stopped, he felt better.

He didn’t roll over for his phone however, he only flipped his pillow over, dropped his head down, and passed out.

…

_Chime!_

Keith flinched and lifted his head from the pillow. He hadn’t moved all night and was in the same position that he’d fallen asleep in. He slowly uncurled his body, stretching out his legs slowly below rolling onto his back and stretching his hands above his head. He groaned, running his hand through his hair.

What time was it?

He reached around for his phone and found it under a different pillow. He saw there were two new text messages, both from Allura. He sat up slowly, his back to the headboard, and read the messages.

**Allura (7:00am): Good morning Keith! I was told you left rather abruptly last night. I wish I could have told you good-bye. I don’t know what happened, but I have a good idea. I hope you take time to figure things out for yourself.**

**Allura (9:00am): Oh yes! I still want to train with you tonight. Please text me a good time and private place. Have a good day!**

Keith pulled his legs close, crossing them and leaned forward as he text her back, mostly ignoring the first text in favor of giving her the address for the park and suggesting they meet sometime after ten, normally the park was empty by that time.

He stood up slowly and took a moment to wrestle out of his jeans, which he had slept in, and kicked them to the floor along with his jacket, leaving him in his boxers and a old MCR t-shirt. Then he left the bedroom, ready to start his late morning. First he stopped in the bathroom to relieve himself and brush his teeth, then headed through his apartment. He was heading for the kitchen when there was a knock at the door.

He shuffled his bare feet across the wood floors, still groggy and yawning loudly, as he opened the door.

“Oh--” he started, eyes widening at Shiro who stood in the doorway with a bag tucked under his arm and a coffee carrier in his hand. Keith blinked the sleep from his eyes and took a quick step back. “Shiro--”

Shiro’s eyes darted down Keith’s bare legs and then back up to his face. “Did I wake you? It’s almost nine-thirty.”

“No, I just got up,” he murmured. After a awkward second he stepped to the side. “Uh, come in. I’m going to go get dressed because… yeah.” He turned leaving Shiro to let himself in as he darted to the bedroom. He grabbed a clean pair of blue jeans, jerking them on and fumbling with the belt. He pulled off the shirt from last night and rifled through his closet until he grabbed a long-sleeve t-shirt that was grey with black stripes on the sleeves. Pulling it on he stopped to brush the knots from his hair before tying it up in a bun.

Then he took a deep breath, pressed his hand over his chest where his heart which was beating like a hummingbird’s, and stepped out the bedroom, making his way for the living room where Shiro stood looking out the window at the sunrise.

Keith felt his chest tighten. “Hey…”

Shiro turned, eyes lighting up. He opened his mouth to speak but Keith cut him off. 

“I--I was going to text you back,” he said frantically, “I just didn’t get to it last night and I just woke up.”

“That’s okay, Keith,” Shiro said gently. “I just wanted to see how you were this morning. I was worried.”

_Why? Why would you worry about me?_ Instead he asked, “What do you have there?”

“Oh,” Shiro said, turning to the items he had set on the kitchen island. “I stopped by Dunkin on the way. I hope you like it.”

Keith smiled softly. “Who doesn’t?”

“I got you vanilla latte, I hope that’s something you like?”

Keith looked surprised. “I love them, how did you know?”

“Lucky guess,” he said with a grin. “I also got us a couple of breakfast sandwiches and donuts.”

Keith shuffled forward slowly, only sitting down when Shiro did. He accepted the cup and sighed at the rich scent of coffee and vanilla. He took a long, slow drink, relishing in the taste and the warmth that woke his sleepy body. Shiro slid one of the bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches to him, and set the variety of donuts out between them.

“This is great, thank you,” Keith said. “You’re being way too nice to someone who ditched the party.”

Shiro laughed. “I think we’ve all done that, Keith. Maybe not for the same reason, but you know.”

Keith blushed. “About that…”

“No, no, don’t apologize or anything,” Shiro said easily. “You were clearly uncomfortable when we went in that photo booth and I shouldn’t have pressured you. We’ve only just become friends and that was well, a bit awkward.”

Keith remembered how easily and comfortably Lance, Hunk and Pidge had been, but they had been friends for ten years or more. They were comfortable with each other in every way possible. And he realized with a little frown that he wanted that. He wanted to be comfortable with his friends. He wanted to cuddle with them on movie night, wanted pile into photo booths without the fear of a panic attack; wanted to touch and be touched without freaking out.

And more important… he wanted that with Shiro. He nodded slowly. “It was, wasn’t it?”

“Personally I don’t like having my picture taken,” Shiro confessed. 

Keith paused from his sandwich. “Why not?”

Shiro gestured to his pale bangs and the scar on his face. “I’m still not comfortable with what I see.”

“Shiro,” Keith said, surprised, “you’re… you’re gorgeous. You have nothing to worry about.”

The man smiled, even blushed, and took a moment to sip his coffee. “You’re not so bad yourself, Keith.”

Keith bit his lip. “I uh, imagine that’s not based on how I looked this morning.”

“Oh, it is,” Shiro answered confidently.

Keith blushed _hard._ He turned his attention to the food in front of him. “Uhm.”

“I stayed and talked with Allura for a while last night,” Shiro said. “She answered pretty much all my questions, and while she couldn’t give me a lot of tips on my first change, saying that it was just something I was going to have to endure, she did tell me about being an alpha and leading a pack and stuff like that.”

“Oh yeah?” Keith asked nervously.

“Honestly, it sounds like a lot of work,” Shiro said with a little laugh. “Not quite sure I’m cut out for that. I think I’m pretty comfortable with our little Alliance of misfits. Hunk and Lance are great, and Pidge, she’s a treasure. And… you.”

Keith looked up, and met Shiro’s eyes which burned with a fire he’d never seen before. “Me?”

“I think you’re… pretty… um,” Shiro fumbled for the right words, before settling with, “I just really like you.”

“You like me?” Keith repeated with a little frown. That could mean multiple things. “I uh, like you too.”

“Not to sound like we’re in high school, but I actually _like_ you,” Shiro stressed. “That day in the grocery store, before Sendak and the world turned upside down, I was actually thinking of asking you out.”

Keith dropped his coffee cup and cursed, leaping off the bar stool to grab a towel and clean up the mess. He blinked rapidly as he kept his head down. Had Shiro actually just said that? No way, he had to be kidding. There was no way--

Keith realized with a start that Shiro had stood and was standing just behind him. Keith resisted the urge to step back and instead looked up at him, clutching the towel in his hands. “I um…” he started, but found he didn’t know how to answer. This had never happened to him before. He was lost for words.

Slowly Shiro touched his fingers to Keith’s cheek, brushing the hair out of his face and tucking it behind his ear. In his eyes was a question, and it was one that Keith hadn’t been asked before. For a minute they just stared at each other, before Keith realized what Shiro was silently asking him. He parted his lips in surprise. 

“Keith, I--”

“Anyone home?!”

_Fucking Lance!_ Keith jumped back and whirled around his apartment door flew open and Lance, Hunk and Pidge walked in. He stared at them furiously. “What is this?” he asked, irritated.

“We wanted to check on you,” Hunk said with a cheerful smile.

“I didn’t,” Lance argued, “I said ‘let him run off and maybe he won’t ever come back.’”

“You did not, dipshit,” Pidge barked at him. “You wanted to go and find him the second he left.”

Keith frowned at the other man. “You what?”

“She’s full of shit,” Lance argued as his face reddened. He turned his attention to the donuts that were on the table. He grabbed one and ripped it in half, offering it to Hunk. “I was glad you left. More time for me and Shiro.”

Keith curled his hands into fists, but when he turned to Shiro the man was just rolling his eyes and easily brushing off Lance’s comment by pushing his fist against his shoulder. Lance dramatically feigned pain and went to sit on the couch.

Hunk was more compassionate, stepping over to Keith and asking softly, “You okay?”

“I think so,” he said. “Sorry if I worried you.”

Hunk pulled him Keith into a hug, something that Keith would have normally tried to worm his way out of, but instead he relaxed and let himself be crushed against Hunk’s chest. “I was really worried, man. Don’t you ever do that again, okay?”

“Okay,” he said, voice muffled against Hunk’s shoulder. “Let me go now.”

Hunk chuckled warmly and let Keith go, but not before giving him a hard pat on the shoulder. “You’re my bro, you know?”

“Oh,” Keith said in surprise, “um, yeah, yeah you, too.”

Pidge, wearing a brightly colored muscle shirt and leggings, stretched. “We just stopped in to say hi. We’re on our way to the gym.” 

“Thanks for last night,” Keith said.

“Hey, you heard Hunk, you’re our bro,” she said. “We help each other.”

“Don’t expect it from me,” Lance grunted as he stood up.

Keith arched an eyebrow. “If not for me, you wouldn’t have been able to drool over Allura all night.”

Lance’s face heated up and he fidgeted. Unable to come up with any retort he turned and left the apartment. Hunk laughed loudly before waving and following him; Pidge saluted the two before running after the other two.

...

“Keith acts like he did me some big favor,” Lance grumbled as the three left the apartment and started down the street toward the parking garage where Hunk had left his car. “I bet he’s just jealous.”

“Keith is gay and head-over-heels in love with Shiro, you nitwick,” Pidge said as she walked playing a game on her phone.

Hunk kept an eye on Pidge as they walked, steering her out of the way of pedestrians. “You can’t tell me you didn’t notice?”

Lance turned, walking backwards. He looked puzzled. “Are you serious?”

“Are you seriously saying you didn’t notice?” Hunk asked. “Lance, really?”

“I just…” Lance mumbled with a frown. “I guess I was always too busy poking at him that I never paid attention.”

“Well, he is, so stop flirting with Shiro,” Pidge added. “He’s obviously into Keith, too, and they don’t need you making the situation anymore… awkward.”

“Why would it be awkward?” he asked.

“Everything with awkward with Keith,” Hunk said, but not in a mean way. “He’s kind of… he’s a little damaged.”

“I thought he was just like, a crazy mullet-man from the desert.”

“That’s not entirely incorrect,” Pidge snorted, “but there’s a lot more there. Stop tormenting the werewolf.”

Lance smirked, hooking his thumbs in the pockets of his sweatpants. “So do you think Allura likes me?”

Hunk laughter was jovial. “She was checking you out, but you come on kind of hard, Lance.”

“I do not,” he argued stiffly.

“Lance do you remember what happened with us in high school?” Hunk said with a arched eyebrow.

Lance wrinkled his nose. “Hey! It’s high school! It’s hormones and hard-ons and you know what, it’s hard when you’re bi and crushing on your best friend without realizing it. How was I supposed to know that I liked you?”

Hunk heaved a sigh. “You really haven’t changed.”

“Yes well, whatev-- _oh my god_ , Hunk.”

The trio stopped, Pidge raising her head from her game, only to drop her phone. They had crossed into the parking garage, which was dark and stuffy and filled with cars from surrounding business, apartments and parks. Only when they reached Hunk’s yellow Subaru hatchback they found that it had been almost completely destroyed.

The tires were slashed, the windows were shattered, and there were dents covering the doors and trunk and roof. There was also wet spray paint across the hood; red spray marks that looked like splatters of blood.

Hunk shook his head, eyes huge and heart pounding. “The fuck!?” he gasped.

“Werewolf--” Pidge warned loudly. “Werewolf!” 

Lance and Hunk looked where she was and saw a pair of eyes watching them from the shadows the complex. Then the wolf, slinky and tall, with burnt gray fur and a white muzzle, stepped forward. Pidge turned, shoving the two humans back. “Call for help!” she shouted before turning and leaping into the air.

Her shapeshift was fast, within seconds; unlike werewolves there was no breaking of bones or splattering of blood, her body morphed instantly, clothes and shoes and everything, all taken up in a rush of magic that engulfed her entire body in a momentarily haze, then she was landing on the hood of the car, a fully-sized cougar.

The large cat hissed, showing her teeth and arching her back to look bigger. The werewolf snarled back, showing his larger teeth and letting out a roar that echoed through the complex. 

Pidge slid off the slick hood of the car and landed easily on her feet. The werewolf was approaching slowly and she had to resist the instinct to run. The werewolf was bigger than her, stronger, but she had to keep the two humans behind her safe. With a snarl she leaped up in the air gracefully, and the werewolf, taken by surprise, reared back.

She landed on his back and sank her claws in deep. The wolf yelped and twisted, turning its head back to snap at her with large jaws. The two struggled until the werewolf rolled, dislodging the cat, and then turned, tackling her.

Pidge rolled onto her back, hissing and snarling, biting at the werewolf when he bit at her, and then pushed her hind paws into the werewolf’s belly, sinking her claws in deep, and started to cut--

A painful howl broke the werewolf’s attack and he jumped back and away from her. Pidge rolled to her feet, breathing heavily and hissing in pain. She was missing patches of fur and she was hurting from multiple bites across her body. The werewolf stood staring at her, blood dripping down around his feet. He snarled, the sound bubbling up from his chest.

Pidge lashed her tail back and forth. She couldn’t risk looking behind her to check if Lance and Hunk had ran off. Instead she prowled forward, slinking toward the werewolf. The two circled, the cougar taking swipes when the wolf strayed too close, and the wolf snapping at her with his teeth.

She winced when teeth grazed her muzzle and jumped back. The werewolf attacked, jumping--

Only to stop in the air. Pidge curled her tail close, watching with perked ears as the werewolf turned in the air was thrown into the closest wall with a sickening crunch. She stood up, staring at--Shiro.

Shiro had caught the werewolf with his left hand and thrown it into a concrete wall, cracking it.

The big cat turned, darting under car and to the two humans who were standing back the wall. She stood protectively in front of them and turned, watching as Shiro and Keith approached the cornered werewolf.

A low rumbling growl filled the parking area, only Pidge realized it wasn’t from the werewolf, it was from Shiro. He was flexing his hand and stepping slowly forward. The wolf tensed, ready to spring forward, when the sound of sirens filled the air. Everyone turned to look and werewolf took the opportunity to run off, disappearing through the maze of cars.

Keith looked at Shiro and gasped. “Sh-Shiro…”

The man blinked, staring at Keith with eyes that were completely wolf; the whites had bled black and the dark colors were bright and fierce. But after a few blinks and a shake of his head, they were back to normal. He looked at Keith in confusion before Pidge’s moan of pain caught their attention.

Pidge had changed back and was slumped back against Hunk.

“The cops are coming,” Keith said, “you need to get out of here.”

“I got her,” Shiro said as he leaned down. Pidge wrapped her arms around his neck and her carefully lifted her, balancing her with his arm. “We’ll go back to her apartment, the rest of you deal with the cops.”

Lance gestured to the bloody paw prints scattered through the area. “What do we tell them?”

“Vandalism and an unrelated stray dog fight,” Shiro suggested before he turned and headed away from them. Pidge tucked herself against him and let out a little cry of pain when he jostled her. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” she panted. “I’ve had worse.”

He smiled down at her. “You’re a tough little cookie, huh?”

She snorted. “In this world you have to be.”

Shiro’s strides were long and fast and they reached the apartment quickly. Inside he sat Pidge down on the floor and went to find the first-aid kit. “I’m starting to realize that,” he said as he knelt next to her.

“We tell our stories with the scars on our skin,” she said as she peeled off her shirt, which was soaked with blood from a cut on her stomach. She slumped down on the floor. “I need to stitch myself up.”

Shiro blinked. “What?”

“I don’t heal like you guys,” she explained. “In the kit there should be a suture set.”

“You can do that to yourself?” he asked in awe. “That’s impressive, Pidge.”

“I can’t exactly go to a doctor, so yeah, shapeshifters learn to patch themselves up,” she said as she took the small box from Shiro with trembling hands. She asked him to clean up and sterilize the cuts and bandage the ones that he could. While he did did that, she started to stitch herself back together.

They were just cleaning up the blood on the floor, and Pidge had pulled on her favorite pair of sweats and a t-shirt and getting comfortable on the couch, when the other three came back to the apartment. Lance and Hunk were panting from running.

“Pidge!” Hunk gasped. “You’re okay. Thank god.”

Lance knelt next to the couch. “You were amazing! Did I ever tell you that I love you?”

She laughed softly. “Thanks man.”

“Can I get you something?” Hunk asked as he leaned over the couch. “Anything.”

“Actually, I have some Snapple in the fridge, can you get me one? Oh, and the cookies in the cupboard.”

While Hunk went to grab the items, Shiro and Keith sat in the living room, Keith filling Shiro in on the lies they told the police.

“Hunk, you had insurance, right?” Shiro asked.

“Of course I did,” he said as he gave Pidge what she asked for and then sat on the other end of the couch, with her feet in his lap. “I just bought that car last year, too. My first like, brand-new car ever.”

Lance sat stayed on the floor with his back to the couch. “Who was that guy? One of Sendak’s?”

“He had to be,” Shiro said with a dark frown. 

“He was,” Keith confirmed, “I recognized his scent.”

“Do we need like, bodyguards or something?” Hunk asked nervously.

“Does anyone know if there is a Otherkin Craigslist?” Lance asked. “Maybe that’s where Sendak hired his mercenaries.”

Shiro scrubbed his hand through his short hair. “I don’t… really know.”

Hunk was fidgeting. “What if we go home and there is a werewolf waiting for us?”

“Then we die,” Lance deadpanned.

“Well…” Keith mumbled, “I mean, you could crash with me.”

Lance arched an eyebrow. “I think I’ll stay with Pidge.”

“I will!” Hunk volunteered. “A sleepover with Keith, sounds fun!”

“Does it? Does it really?” Lance asked, only to have Pidge knock him over the head.

Keith, obviously hesitant about his decision, shifted. “Yeah, sure… fun. Uh, I’ll go make some room for you. I only have one bed, you can--”

“I’ll crash on the couch,” Hunk said. “I can sleep anywhere.”

Keith stood. “Okay, okay I’ll be right back.”

He headed across the hall to his apartment, only the door didn’t close when he swung it shut behind him. He turned around in surprise as Shiro followed him inside. “Hey?”

“I wanted to talk to you,” Shiro said. “Um, about what happened back there.”

Keith remembered. He’d seen the way Shiro’s muscles had swelled, the ways his eyes went dark and fierce, and the echoing growl that had rumbled from his chest. “That was pretty intense,” he said.

“To say the least,” Shiro gulped nervously. “When I saw them in trouble, and Pidge hurt, and thought that you might get hurt, too, I just kind of snapped. I had to protect you. I just… I felt in me, this intense pull to protect my friends.”

Keith licked his lips. “That’s ennoble.”

“It was terrifying,” Shiro corrected. “The power that was going through me… it was like, like holding all the Dragon Balls.”

Keith snorted before a laugh escaped him. “You are such a huge nerd.”

“I am,” Shiro said, laughing as well. He met Keith’s soft eyes and tilted his head, remembering back to when they were in the kitchen together. Slowly he raised his hand, watching the way Keith watched his hand, before brushing his fingers across the young man’s cheek. Then, slowly, he cupped the back of Keith’s head and brought his head forward.

_Oh my god-- oh my god--_ Keith’s brain was going haywire, and he closed his eyes until lips softly touched his forehead. Then he opened them to stare at Shiro. When he saw the tall man start to lean away, he leaned up on his toes, grabbed Shiro by his short hair, and pulled him back down.

The kiss was quick, just a brush of lips together, just enough for Keith to tell Shiro how he felt.

When Keith rocked back down on his heels he was startled to find Shiro following him, and then he was back against the wall, with Shiro’s hand gripping the back of his neck and his lips pressed against his own. And oh, did Keith’s world just start on fire. Shiro’s lips were warm and wet, sliding and moving along his mouth with a precision that no man should possess.

Finally Keith submitted, pressing into the kiss, nipping at Shiro’s lips while Shiro devoured him, tongue sliding past his lips and licking him deep. Keith’s legs weakened and he grabbed Shiro’s shoulders to hold himself up. Shiro’s deep kiss stole the breath from his lungs and Keith felt himself clinging to Shiro for life.

Then he whined, high and loud, the sound coming from his throat.

Shiro pulled back with a gasp. He pet his fingers through Keith’s hair, running his nails against his scalp. “Did I hurt you?”

Keith stared at him in confusion before gaping. “Oh--no that wasn’t… wasn’t a sound of pain.”

He blinked with a confused frown, before realizing. “Oh,” he whispered. “Right.” His lips curled into a little smile and he kissed Keith again, as deep and hard as Keith wanted, who was pulling Shiro against him and gasping.

Out of the corner of his eye Shiro saw Lance and Hunk walk into the apartment. Lance gaped, pointing at them, before Hunk grabbed his arm and jerked him out of the room and closed the door silently behind them.

Shiro huffed a laugh before kissing away from Keith’s lips, which tore a little whimper from the omega, and started to mouth down his neck. It seemed to be the thing to do, because Keith’s head fell back against the wall and he went weak. Shiro licked and sucked wetly down the length of Keith’s neck, sucking until he left several little bruises and nips from his teeth.

Keith whined again and in response Shiro growled. He felt a rush of heat drop from his stomach and lower, and he was feeling hard and starting to yearn. A thick, heavy scent filled the space between them and Shiro realized with a start that it was coming from him. He was definitely aroused and he wanted Keith--right now.

However.

With a gasp Shiro stepped back, breathing heavily. Keith was standing against the wall, panting and shaking, his hair a mess and his clothing disheveled from all the rubbing they had been doing. His lips were parted as he panted, and his neck was wet and bruised. When Keith had a moment to gulp a couple mouthfuls of fresh air, he straightened up.

“Holy shit,” Keith gasped. He ran his hands through his hair, then cupped his neck. “Wow.”

“Yeah,” Shiro agreed with a wide grin. “You’re amazing.”

He shook his head and stayed planted back against the wall, because he was afraid if he stepped forward he would climb Shiro like a tree. Keith snorted. “I’m ‘amazing’, says the gorgeous man.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, baby,” Shiro purred, his voice deep and rough. He took another step back, needing some fresh air. He turned back to Keith, flashing him a smile. “Go on a date with me.”

“A date?” Keith repeated. “You want to… go on a date, now? In the middle of all this chaos?”

Shiro shrugged and said, “What better time?”


	8. Skin

As excited Keith was to have an official date with Shiro, who had confessed that not only he _liked_ him, but had kissed him in a way that Keith thought only existed in smutty romance books, the date itself was going to have to wait. That night Keith promised to meet with Allura at the park to train, and he had a twelve-hour shift that next morning.

Shiro left shortly after, giving Keith time to take Hunk home and grab some necessary things for his stay with Keith. Hunk, who was a chef at a small fusion restaurant downtown that specializes in Caribbean and Vietnamese dishes, told Keith, while he was packing his suitcases and grabbing his laptop, chargers, video games and books, that while the job didn’t pay a lot it was essentially his dream job. The unique combination of food meant that Hunk was always learning and trying new things. 

“I hope you don’t mind that I like to cook every morning,” Hunk said.

Keith shrugged as he helped Hunk with his bags. “I usually just have cereal or eggs, so do what you want.”

Hunk glanced at Keith and grinned before he tried to muffle a giggle. Keith glanced at the other man, noticing his red face and the way he was refusing to make eye contact. Keith narrowed his eyes and tilted his head up. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing.”

“You have a secret,” Keith deduced. “What do you know?”

“Nothing,” Hunk lied.

“Hunk.”

He looked at Keith before blurting out, “I saw you and Shiro making out.”

Keith almost dropped the suitcase. “What? Hunk!”

“I’m sorry! I came to see how things were going and you two were totally sucking face.”

Keith felt his ears redden. “Oh, for god’s sake…”

“Hey, I’m just glad it finally happened,” Hunk chirped. “Maybe you’ll unwind a little.”

“I--I am not wound up,” Keith argued.

“Yes you are,” Hunk said kindly. “There’s nothing wrong with that. But I just, I’ve been rooting for you.”

“You’ve been rooting for us? You can’t be serious.”

“I’m a romantic at heart,” Hunk said. They reached the Jeep and he loaded his bags into the back. “And I think it’s sweet.”

Keith took a deep breath as he got into the driver’s seat. Knowing that they had been spied on, and that Hunk had been hoping they would get together, made him feel both embarrassed and a little flattered. He looked at Hunk as he buckled his seatbelt and checked his cell phone.

“Well, maybe… you and Shay can double-date with us,” Keith suggested nervously.

Hunk looked at him in surprise. “Seriously?

“Why not?” Keith asked. “You obviously like her, and she likes you.”

“Oh! We can invite Lance and Allura!” he said giddily. “And Pidge just because.”

“Isn’t that just a group meeting or whatever?” Keith asked as they pulled out into traffic and towards home.

Hunk ran his hand through his thick hair. “I guess so. But it sounds more fun, doesn’t it?”

It sounded a lot more fun than two or three couples at a fancy restaurant with candles and bottles of wine and having to speak in soft, hushed tones. Getting together at Voltron or a bar or even a cafe just seemed more suitable for their group. “Maybe a movie afterwards…?”

Hunk leaned back in the seat, smiling at Keith, who was gripping the steering wheel tightly. He looked nervous and his brow was sweaty. Hunk realized that it was taking a lot of effort on Keith’s behalf to talk to him, and even more to branch out and suggest things like double-dates and going to the movies as a group. Hunk wondered when the last time was that Keith went to a movie. When was the last time he talked so openly with someone? 

“So are you two dating?” he asked.

Keith shrugged stiffly. “We um, we have a date planned.”

“Where are you going?”

“I don’t know, we didn’t talk about it,” Keith said. “I think we’re going to decide on Wednesday.”

“Sounds good to me,” Hunk said. They were quiet for the rest of the drive, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. When they reached the apartment Hunk saw that Lance was moving his stuff in with Pidge. He knew the two would get along just fine, they loved the same games and would probably stay up for days straight playing online.

Keith helped Hunk set his suitcases in the corner of the living room near the couch. “Just make yourself at home,” Keith said as he stood nearby awkwardly. “Whatever I have is yours… feel free to just um, do whatever?”

Hunk chuckled at him. “I think I’m going to go to the store on the corner.”

“Why? I have food here,” Keith said.

“You have like, the basics,” Hunk pointed out, “and I already planned out breakfast for tomorrow.”

Keith could only smile and shake his head. “Fine, fine. Want me to come along?”

“Naw, I’ll grab Lance,” he said. “We should be safe. Sendak wouldn’t attack twice in one day, would he?”

Keith shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“It’ll be fine,” Hunk reassured him. “I’ll be back!”

Keith watched him go, closing the door behind him. He stood in the middle of the living room, feeling uncomfortable with the sudden changes in his life. One was like a dream come true, that kiss with Shiro had been one of the best moments of his life, and now he had Hunk moving in, for what would hopefully be a short period of time, but honestly, who knew how long this whole thing would take?

Keith wasn’t sure what to do with himself and felt pretty unsure of himself even though this was his apartment. So he decided that if he was going to have company, then he’d better make sure the place was clean.

It ended up being a good way to the pass the time until nightfall and his time to train with Allura. Hunk had made himself comfortable on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and a juice, watching the Great British Bake Off (which Keith had to admit, was pretty damn entertaining.) Keith told him good-night, knowing that Hunk would be asleep whenever Keith came home.

Allura was already there when Keith arrived at the park. She waved and crossed the grass to greet him with a hug.

“How have you been?” she asked.

“Good, surprisingly,” he said.

Allura smiled and clapped her hands. “Well, let’s get started. I scouted a place in the trees where no one will see or hear us. We should have complete privacy while we try to work through what’s keeping you from changing.”

Keith looked at her curiously as they walked. “Wait, what? What do you mean, keeping me from changing?”

“Practice or not, Keith, you should be able to change on your own by now,” she explained. “Something is stopping you.”

_Jesus Christ, I really do need a therapist,_ he thought tiredly. “What do you think it is?”

“I don’t know,” she said, tapping her chin. “Perhaps some pent-up guilt? Maybe denial? Could even be that you’re not fully connected to the wolf inside of you. Have you fully accepted the wolf? Are the two of you one creature in one body?”

Keith blinked. “I… I guess I don’t know. I don’t think about it… until I have to.”

“Hm,” she said. Her silvery hair was loose, hanging down her back and shoulders in wavy curls. She was wearing black shorts and a purple blouse that clung to her in all the right places. “And when the moon comes?”

“I… well I come here and I hide my clothes and I just… sit and wait,” he said.

“You don’t try to listen to the wolf?”

“I listen to the moon?”

“Not good enough,” she gently scolded. “I told you once, and I’ll tell you again, you are not a monster. The wolf inside you is not a monster. Together you may have done monstrous things, but that does not make the two of you inherently evil. You don’t blame newborns and toddlers for the things they do, because they are innocent.”

Keith frowned. “Allura, newborns don’t eat people.”

“Details,” she dismissed with a wave of her hand. 

“And what about the werewolf that bit me?” he asked. “What’s his excuse?”

“What do you do once you bond with your wolf is up to you,” Allura said. “Some people go about their lives like they did when they were human, others become monsters. After you make that decision, then the consequences are on you.”

They reached a small patch of grass in the center of a cluster of tall trees. Allura sat down in the grass, crossing her legs and gestured for Keith to sit across from her. “Do you know how to meditate?” When Keith nodded Allura smiled and rested her hands, palms up, on her knees. “All right, so close your eyes, and let’s focus on the wolf inside you…”

…

It was almost three in the morning when they called it quits. Keith was exhausted, his skin was sweaty and hair was damp against his neck. Allura was in the same position, only she was tired from changing into her wolf twice.

“We made some great progress,” Allura said happily.

Keith slowly stood up. “You think so?”

“Keith, you almost did it,” she pointed out, “your eyes changed, your teeth, even your hair. We’re very close, I can feel it.”

He sighed tiredly. “I have to be ready,” he said. “After what happened today, I can’t risk anyone else getting hurt.”

Allura nodding, walking with Keith through the park. Keith had told her what happened in the parking garage. She had been shocked. “Sendak needs to be stopped, if not to protect you and your friends, but keep us safe as a species. We’ve been hunted for hundreds of years, through the history books you can read about massacres of Otherkin, and if we were to be exposed now, it would happen all over. It would be Salem all over again, only worse.”

Keith nodded in agreement. “I know.”

They stopped at Allura’s car. She promised to text him a time to train again, and he headed home. He was hot and sweaty and every muscle in his body hurt. Keith was quiet as he entered the apartment, only to be greeted with Hunk’s snores and the television which had been left on. He took a moment to turn it off, then went to bathroom for a quick shower. After that he checked his phone, he had to be up for work in two hours, and collapsed in bed.

What he needed that night was a dreamless sleep, but he received just the opposite. Keith found himself standing in a forest unlike anything he had ever seen in the real world. The trees were old and tall, covered in moss with wide spread canopies that blocked out the sky. Ferns covered the ground and in patches of dirt mushrooms of all colors were growing. Above him birds chirped and sang, the sound echoing around him. He could smell rain, could feel the occasional droplet as it managed to make its way through the large, thick leaves above them.

Keith turned around and started to walk. His feet were bare and muddy, and he was shirtless, wearing only a pair of boxers. He felt something wet running down his side and when he looked down, he saw that the scars from the werewolf that tried to eat him were fresh, open wounds and oozing blood and puss.

With a gasp Keith pressed his hands against the wound. He stumbled, walking deeper into the forest, which started to close in around him. His footsteps grew slower, it was growing harder to lift his feet, and a pain had started to spread from the infection from the werewolf bites. He stumbled to a stop and looking down.

Something was moving beneath his skin. Keith could feel his bones snapping and soon he was falling to the ground, yelling in pain. In an attempt to stop the pain he wrapped his arms around himself--

Then he remembered what Allura had told him. He had to accept this as a part of him. So slowly he lowered his hands to the ground and dropped his head, pressing his forehead into the mud. The pain continued to burn inside him, the scars on his side pulsed bright with pain, and within him he could hear a growling that turned into a long, mournful whine.

He had to accept the wolf, and the wolf had to accept him.

…

“Keith? Keith?”

Keith woke with a jolt. Standing over him was Hunk, a worried expression on his face. 

“Huh? Wha?” he mumbled tiredly. “Hunk?”

“Hey--sorry, but your phone alarm has been going off for a half-hour,” Hunk explained, holding up the phone. “You were like, dead to the world.”

Keith’s lifted up his shirt, looking at the scar on his side. The scars were silver and puffy, and somewhat red. That had been a dream, right? It hadn’t been real… He pushed off the blankets and checked his feet but they were clean. 

Hunk watched him curiously. “Dude?”

“Just checking,” he mumbled. He shook his head, trying to shake the grogginess.

“I uh, I made coffee and breakfast,” Hunk said as he stepped away from the bed.

Keith looked at him curiously. “You didn’t have to do that. It’s like, five-in-the-morning, go back to sleep.”

“Naw,” Hunk said with a shrug and a little grin. “I wanted to have breakfast with you.”

Affection swelled in Keith’s chest and he smiled. “Oh. That’s… well okay.”

“I’ll meet you in the kitchen,” Hunk said before leaving the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Keith flopped back down for a second. He closed his eyes, trying to imagine the forest again, but it was slowly falling away from him, piece by piece. The wolf was also gone, along with the pain. With a grunt Keith forced himself up and out of bed. He tugged on some fresh clothes, stopped in the bathroom, then headed into the kitchen.

Poppy Latin music filled the kitchen from Hunk’s phone. Keith peered curiously at the table. “What did you make?”

“Breakfast burritos,” Hunk said proudly, “with wheat banana pancakes, and iced coffee.”

Keith was impressed. “You did all this? Seriously?”

“Cooking is my gift,” the man said with a large grin.

“Do this every morning and I’ll never let you leave,” Keith laughed softly.

Hunk flipped the spatula he was holding through the air and caught it. “Let’s eat!”

After breakfast, which was fabulous, Keith headed out for work. He told Hunk to whatever he wanted around the apartment, though he did ask that Lance not be allowed to wander freely or go into the bedroom. He didn’t trust the man to not do something stupid. Keith didn’t know what Lance would do, and he didn’t want to find out.

He was pulling into the warehouse parking lot when his phone chimed. When Keith saw it was Shiro, he grinned brightly.

**Shiro (6:05am) How did last night go?**

**Keith (6:06am) I think it went well. I made a little progress.**

**Shiro (6:06am) That’s great, Keith!**

In a rare audacious moment Keith lifted his phone and snapped a quick selfie. Keith didn’t think it was a horrible picture. The morning sun was bright across his face, making his dark purple eyes glow with more colors than typically seen. His hair was loose around his neck, deep black and shining. He text it to Shiro quickly before he could change his mind.

What he didn’t expect was the quick response from Shiro and Keith immediately saved the picture to his phone. Shiro was standing in the gym in front of a mirror. He was wearing a muscle shirt, shorts, sneakers and was flushed and sweaty and goddamn gorgeous. To make it worse he was flexing his left arm while taking the photo. 

Keith’s mouth went dry and he whined. **Keith (6:07am) Show off.**

**Shiro (6:08am) Have a good day at work ;)**

With a blush and a smile Keith shoved his phone into his pocket and headed toward the warehouse. 

…

Twelve exhausting hours later and Keith was heading home. He was hungry and dirty and hot. The job was hard, but it was three days a week (which often spilled into a fourth day and lots of overtime,) the pay was great and he always had nights off, so when it came to full moons he never had to worry about getting out of work. That didn’t mean that the next morning wasn’t a complete bitch and he was often dead on his feet by the end of his shift.

He climbed the stairs his apartment and unlocked the door and--

Hunk and Lance were sitting on the couch, yelling dramatically at the television. Keith frowned, having forgotten that he wasn’t living alone at the moment. He stood in the doorway, staring at the backs of their heads.

“Hey guys,” he finally said as he stepped in and kicked off his boots.

Hunk paused the television and turned around. “Hey! How was work?”

“You look like you smell really bad.”

“Get out, Lance.”

Lance turned around, ignoring him. Hunk, however, stood up and said, “There’s food in the microwave for you.”

Keith glanced between him and the kitchen. “You made me dinner?”

“Well, no, I actually brought dinner home,” Hunk said with a grin. “I had a short shift today and thought you’d like something fresh to eat instead of ramen and frozen meals.”

Keith headed into the kitchen and opened the microwave, pulling out a styrofoam container. Inside was jerk chicken with coconut rice and beans, with a couple shrimp cakes. Keith had to admit, it looked and smelled delicious. “Wow, thanks. I’ll eat it after I get cleaned up.”

By the grace of God, Lance was gone when Keith stepped out of the bathroom, feeling a lot of better and dressed in loose clothing. Hunk was cleaning up the mess he and Lance had made, putting soda cans in the recycle bin and throwing away any garbage from candy wrappers and popcorn that missed their mouths. He had turned the television’s volume down and had switched the station to a soccer game.

“How was work?” Hunk asked as Keith walked by and into the kitchen.

“Exhausting,” he said with a sigh. “What about you?”

Hunk shrugged and smiled. “It was fun,” he said. “I made a garlic shrimp noodle salad and it was delicious.”

Keith nodded and sat down after reheating the food. It was great and he thanked Hunk again. “You don’t have to cook or feed me every day,” he said, “I don’t want you to feel obligated or anything, Hunk.”

“I know and I don’t,” Hunk said. “I like taking care of people.”

“Do… I need taken care of?” Keith asked hesitantly.

“I think everyone does, in some shape or form,” Hunk pondered.

Keith couldn’t argue with that. Hunk settled back on the couch with his laptop, tapping furious at various keys and wearing a headset. He watched him for a second before he pulled out his phone and saw that he had missed a text from Shiro. It was another photo, only this time Shiro was lying in bed. His hair was wet from showering and his skin was dewey and damp. And he had the softest little smile on his face.

“He’s going to be the death of me,” Keith uttered as he swallowed his food with a hard gulp. 

**Keith (8:30pm) Are you trying to distract me?**

He turned his attention back to his food as he waited for a reply. He wasn't a fan of the beans so he pushed off his plate and into a napkin. He was glad Hunk wasn’t watching or he might feel a little guilty. He was just rinsing off his plate and glass when his phone chimed.

**Shiro (8:45pm) I might be.**

Keith picked up the phone and before going to bed, tapped Hunk on the shoulder. “Hey, I’m going to bed.”

“Okay! I’ll keep it down, I promise,” he said with a thumbs up.

Keith awkwardly returned the gesture before heading into his bedroom and closing the door. He stripped down to his boxers and dropped into bed and rolled onto his stomach, phone in hand.

**Keith (8:50pm) What do you have planned for tomorrow?**

Just remembering that he had a date with _Shiro_ made Keith’s heart thump excitedly in his chest. He wiggled his toes and pulled the blankets up to his shoulders. 

**Shiro (8:51pm) A good time.**

Keith felt a flutter in his chest. The response was both arousing and frustrating. A good time? What was a good time? Did Keith even remember how to have a good time? He rolled over, resting his head on the pillow before texting back.

**Keith (8:52pm) That’s vague.**

**Shiro (8:53pm) I know.**

Keith snorted. “Jerk.” He lifted the phone and took a photo of himself and sent it with the caption, **I’m going to crash now.**

Shiro immediately sent text back. **Shiro (8:55pm) I wish I was with you.**

Keith groaned, smothering his face in the pillow. Yup, it was confirmed, Takashi Shirogane was going to kill him.

…

He was back in the deep forest, surrounded by ancient trees and singing birds. He stood in the darkness, this time welcoming it, inviting it; focusing on the energy that he received from an hidden moon and letting it sink into him. In the pit of belly he felt a stirring followed by pain that stretched his skin and broke his bones.

Around him shadows moved, figures darting in and out of darkness with glowing eyes and sharp teeth. But they only stood and watched, making huffing, whining noises and the occasionally sharp, thundering growl.

But Keith welcomed all of it. He fell to his hands and knees and leaned forward, mouth open and gasping as pinpricks of pain danced over his skin. He heard the growling again, this time coming from his own throat. He grunted, digging his hands into the mud beneath him and pulled…pulled… pulling the wolf further to the surface. Hair sprouted from his skin, he went blind as his skull broke to pieces, hideous and monstrous, but Keith pushed through the pain. He welcomed the pain.

Screaming until his voice was raw Keith eventually slumped into the bloody mud beneath him. But he didn’t feel the mud against his skin, instead he felt it sinking into his fur. Opening his eyes Keith saw the world through an entirely different perception. Everything was clear and bright in darkness. He saw trees and ferns, wildlife and bugs as they buzzed around.

With a little effort he stood up, legs wobbling. His first couple steps were difficult, his legs threatening to give out beneath him. He felt like a newborn learning how to walk again. He worked his way through the trees, which started to thin out, and then he was darting into an open field where the moon was shining bright.

…

“Date night, date night, date night!” Hunk said over and over again.

Keith gave the man a glare. “Don’t make me kick you out.”

“But it’s your date night!” he all but squealed. “I’m so excited for you!”

Keith was excited, too, but not quite so visibly. He sighed, feigning annoyance. “Really, Hunk?”

“What are you going to wear?” he asked.

Keith, who had been washing the dishes while Hunk dried them, froze. “Wh-what?”

Hunk tilted his head. “I asked what you were going to wear tonight? For your date? With Shiro?”

_What. Was. He. Going. To. Wear._ Keith’s eyes widened and he stepped back. “Oh my god,” he gasped, “what am I going to wear?”

Hunk set down the plate he had been drying. “I’m sure you having something nice to wear.”

“I don’t own nice clothing,” Keith muttered.

“How about a trenchcoat and nothing underneath?”

Keith threw him a glare. But he didn’t even have that. “I don’t even know what we’re doing, he won’t tell me. So how am I supposed to dress? What if we go somewhere fancy?”

“Shiro doesn’t strike me as a fancy place kind of guy,” Hunk said.

Keith supposed that could be true. Mario’s Pizza was a rather fancy place, but Shiro hadn’t dressed in slacks or two-hundred dollar shoes, he’d dressed simple and casual. And he was also a huge nerd. Maybe he wanted to go to Voltron? Or somewhere similar. Maybe miniature golf? A movie? A museum?

“Maybe not,” he muttered. “Do you mind finishing I need to… I need to find clothes.”

Hunk waved his hand at him, dismissing Keith easily, who rushed to his bedroom. 

Keith felt his palms start to sweat as he opened his closet and all the drawers to his dresser. “What… to wear…”

…

Shiro had been tempted to skip the gym that morning, but he was feeling so anxious for his date with Keith that he realized if he didn’t wear off some energy, he was going to be a wreck by that evening. So he grabbed his gym bag and gone straight for the gym.

As a result of losing his arm Shiro had changed gyms, which was annoying because his previous gym was just down the street and this one was further away. On the plus side, this gym (more accurately, fitness center) was larger and always busy, and with so many people focused on their own business no one even paid attention to his amputation. It was a relief.

He started with a warm up jog about the track, then the stationary bike to get a good sweat going, before heading into the weight room. Shiro had been forced to adjust his workout schedule, having to cut out anything that had involved two hands. But he found that there was still a lot he could do, and what he couldn’t, he could live without or simply learned to do. Like one-handed push-ups and pull-ups.

Weights, squats, jumping jacks, repeat. He jogged again, then hit the weights a final time. He was determined to get as fit and cut as possible without it becoming too excessive. He tried to tell himself it wasn’t to impress Keith but that was a straight out lie.

He stopped in the locker room to shower and changed into clean clothing and his street shoes, and stuffed everything sweaty and smelly in his duffel bag. He pulled the long strap across his chest. As Shiro headed out he stopped in the lobby at the vending machines and fished out a handful of change.

He had just leaned down to pick up his blueberry-pomegranate juice when a familiar scent caught his attention. Very slowly Shiro straightened up and turned around. His eyes swept the lobby. There were people coming in and out of the front doors and stopping at the desk to swipe their ID cards. People were sitting around at tables, talking and having snacks and rehydrating. There were little kids running around their parents, yelling in excitement as they went down the long hallway that lead to the swimming pool.

And there, sitting at one of the tables, was Sendak.

It took Shiro by surprise, and for a moment he just stood, staring at the large man. Sendak was leaning on the table with his hands clasp in front of him, watching Shiro with one yellow eye. His skin was more tanned than the last time Shiro had seen him, and he was wearing a sports cap over his shaved head. There were new scars on his face and he had a patch covering the eye that Keith had ripped out.

Sendak smiled. “Have a seat, Shiro.”

“How do you know my name?” he demanded as he crossed the lobby. 

“It’s not hard to find out things about people,” the man said with a shrug. He glanced at the lobby doors as a woman with five small children walked in. Sendak smiled. “Precious, aren't they?”

Shiro followed the man’s gaze before his eyes widened. “What are you planning on doing here?”

“I came here to talk,” Sendak replied, his voice low and threatening. “I wanted to see if what I was told was true.”

Slowly Shiro sat down across from the other werewolf alpha. “And what is that?”

“That you’re a powerful alpha,” Sendak said as his eyes raked over Shiro. His nostrils flared as he sniffed the air. “I didn’t believe Prorok when he told me what happened to him. I thought he was just trying to cover that some shapeshifter bitch had kicked his ass. But now that I see you, now that I smell you, I must apologize. You certainly are prodigious.”

Shiro frowned, baring his teeth. “So why don’t you get the fuck out of here?”

Sendak leaned back casually and comfortably. “Why? Everything I need is here. Look at all the prey.”

“You can’t--” Shiro growled. “I won’t let you.”

Sendak arched an eyebrow at him and sneered. “How about I make you a deal?”

“A deal,” he repeated, “why the hell would I deal with you?”

“Because I’m going to make one you can’t refuse,” the alpha said confidently. He leaned forward again, staring into Shiro’s eyes. “I want to fight you, and I want to kill you, but I want to see what you can do. I could just kill you now, it would be easy. But where is the fun in that? So I’ll give you two months, and in that time, I’ll come, and we’ll fight, and you can show me what you can do before I kill you.”

Shiro frowned. “What? Why give me two months?”

“I like a challenge,” Sendak snarled, his voice gnarly and gritty. “And I want you to watch as I kill all your little friends and make Keith my bitch. Only after that, will I kill you. And I’ll feast on the your flesh, like I did your arm.”

His amputation ached and Shiro felt his blood boil. “Fuck you.”

“Is there an agreement or not?” Sendak asked. “Will you be the champion that saves his friends, or shall I kill everyone here?.”

He didn’t have a choice. Shiro didn’t think he could take Sendak right now being unable to change his shape. He glanced at all the innocent, oblivious people as they mingled around. Small children laughed, older teenagers were ignoring their parents in favor of their phones, and a elderly couple dressed for the wading pool laughed and held hands as they walked.

“Fine,” he growled. “In two months.”

Satisfied, Sendak stood up. “Don’t worry, I won’t let you or your little pack forget about this deal.”

Shiro popped up and around the table, getting in the man’s face. They were close to the same height but Sendak was a little wider with muscle. “You leave them alone,” he snapped, “you can’t go after them again if you want me to adhere to the deal.”

Sendak pressed his palm to Shiro’s chest and pushed him back with a smirk. “I’ll do what I want. Maybe I’ll kill your friends, maybe I’ll stalk them. Just remember, champion, there’s nothing you can do to stop me in this very moment.”

“I don’t accept that,” Shiro snapped, while trying to keep his voice down because they were attracting attention.

“That’s your problem,” Sendak said as he walked around Shiro, heading for the door. Humans darted out of his way, watching him with huge eyes. He turned back to Shiro at the last moment, “Two months, Shiro. Be ready.” And then he was out the door, leaving Shiro standing dumbfounded in the middle of the lobby.


	9. Euphoria

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are about to get very hot and heavy, so look away if you're shy! xoxo

It was four o’ clock and Keith stood outside the building, back to old brick and phone in his hand. Shiro was on coming to pick him up for their date, and sure, Keith could have waited in the apartment, but Hunk and Lance were there and Pidge had been spying out her doorway. Keith would rather wait outside, where it was rather humid and the sky was heavy with threatening rain clouds than risk the embarrassment of his friends watching as Keith left for his date.

He tucked a stray lock of hair behind his ear. He’d been fussing with his looks for the last hour and finally just gave up. He wasn’t going to go out of his way to look… good. So he’d just thrown together something that looked nice and had pulled his hair back in messy low bun with his bangs hanging lose over his forehead. After going through all his clothing he had settled on his black boots, black skinny jeans that had rips in them, a t-shirt that had a bright purple galaxy cloud over the front with a oversized grey sweater over the top. He realized this made his style look all over, but Keith had no idea how to dress for someone, so he decided to just be comfortable. Just to throw a in a little more color he’d tugged on a series of bracelets, just to do something a little different.

Thunder rumbled above him and lightning flashed across the sky. He was about to step back inside the lobby when Shiro’s familiar black Dodge pulled up the curb. Adjusting his shoulder bag Keith darted for the car.

Inside it was warm and smelled heady and pleasant. Keith dropped into the seat as Shiro said, “I would have came up.”

“Everyone is up there,” Keith explained as he settled in the seat and clipped on his seatbelt. When he looked at Shiro he couldn’t stop a stupid smile from covering his face, and was pleased to see Shiro was dressed casually as well, and was even wearing a black beanie and Keith thought it was the more adorable thing ever.

“Oh, of course,” Shiro laughed. His eyes slowly slid over Keith. “You look great.”

Keith blushed. “Y-you, too,” he stammered as he fidgeted with the strap of his bag, just to give his hands something to do. “So what are we going? I mean--where are we doing? Shit.”

“Well, I thought we’d go back to my place,” Shiro laughed easily as they pulled away from the curb. “I was going to cook us dinner, and then I thought we could watch a movie?”

Keith’s eyes widened and he looked away. They were going to spend the evening in Shiro’s apartment? Which was close proximity to Shiro’s bed. As he tried not to think about that he asked, “You cook?”

Shiro laughed. “I _can_ cook, not like, anything extravagant, but yeah, I can cook.”

He thought about it for a moment and realized that actually, this was perfect. Keith hated crowds and strangers, and while being alone with Shiro was making his heart pound, at least it would only be the two of them.

_Oh my god, it’s only going to be the two of us._

They pulled into the lot outside Shiro’s building just as the rain fell in a sheet of water. They ran from the car to the lobby, pausing under and awning as Shiro swiped his keycard to let them in the door. They headed for the stairs and climbed to the fifth floor and finally to Shiro’s door, which he unlocked with the card as well. 

Keith stepped into the apartment, shaking out his wet hair and taking off his sweater, which had taken the brunt of the rain.

“I can throw that in the dryer,” Shiro offered as he took off the beanie and ran his hand through his hair.

“Oh, sure, thanks,” he said. He handed Shiro the sweater before he kicked off his boots and set them by the door. After a moment he then hung his bag on the hook behind the door and stepped into Shiro’s apartment.

The front door opened into the kitchen and beyond that was the living room and a hallway leading down to what Keith guessed was two small bedrooms and the bathroom. The apartment color-scheme was very rich, lots of brown woods, deep reds, touches of gold and blue, with lots of houseplants and family photos. It had a very homey feel to it.

Outside the windows, which had a great view of the city, rain fell like a waterfall and lightning flashed, followed by quick cracks of thunder, making the lights flicker. Keith stood looking out the window until Shiro came up the hall. “Hey.”

Keith turned, smiling shyly. “Hey.”

“What a storm,” Shiro said as he stood near the other man. “We made it inside just in time.”

Keith hummed and nodded his head. He turned, stepping back. “Your apartment is great,” he said.

Shiro smiled and reached back, running his hand through his short hair. “It was my parent’s,” he said. He turned, gesturing to family photos and nicknacks. “My parents immigrated from Japan before I was born and lived here. After my dad died and I joined the military, my mom decided to move back to Japan to be with grandmother who was sick. When I finally came home I just… I haven’t brought myself to change it much. It feels like home, you know?”

Keith nodded. He stepped forward and looked through the family photos. There was baby Shiro and his mother, his parent’s on their anniversary, black and white photos of grandparents and great-grandparents in Japan; photographs from around the city and around the world, all mixed together on the shelves. “You have a lovely family,” he said quietly.

“What about your family?” Shiro asked as he went to the kitchen to start dinner. The kitchen was larger than Keith’s, there was more counter space and a breakfast nook that was in front of glass doors that lead out to a balcony. 

He was quiet for a moment and just watched Shiro as he started to get around pots and pans and ingredients. “Um,” he finally started, swallowing thickly, “My… mom left when I was a baby and my dad died when I was seven.”

Shiro paused from what he was doing. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

Keith shrugged. “Nothing I can do about,” he said. “I just… try not to think about them.”

“What did you do after that?”

Keith leaned back against the counter. “I was in the foster system for a while, and then I just… ran away and took care of myself.”

“That’s pretty tough,” Shiro said. “And admirable.”

Keith snorted. “Not really.”

“You’ve been on your own for a long time,” Shiro said, “but look at what you’ve all accomplished.”

Keith frowned. “What do you mean?”

“What do I mean,” he laughed, repeating Keith’s question. “Keith, you have a great job, your own apartment, a car, fantastic friends. You aren’t in jail, you’re not on drugs, and you’re not living under a bridge. And, you’re, you know, really hot.”

Keith, who had been leaning on his hand, slipped and stumbled. Thankfully Shiro had been looking in the fridge and didn’t notice. He straightened up. “Uh,” he stammered, not used to such praise. “I mean… I guess… Well what you’re saying isn’t… not true but I don’t deserve that… I mean…”

Shiro turned around, eyes twinkling as he smiled. “Stop selling yourself short, okay?”

“Mm,” he hummed. He changed the subject, “What are you cooking?”

“Well!” Shiro said as he clumsily tugged on an apron, “I was going to make you something delicious and Japanese, and then I remembered that my mother never taught me how to cook anything she made and, other than flying her here for cook for me, that wasn’t going to happen. So I settled on…” he reached for a recipe he had pulled up on his tablet and read, “Skillet Parmesan Chicken with a side of salad, and some French bread that I picked up from bakery this morning.”

Keith’s heart fluttered. How was it possible this man could be so big and strong and handsome, and at the same time, be so dorky and endearing? For God’s sake, the apron had the body of Goku on it! After a moment he stepped around into the kitchen. “Can I help?” he asked. “I’m not a great cook, but I can follow instructions.”

Shiro looked down at him, eyes soft, before leaning down and pressing a kiss to Keith’s cheek. “I’ve love that. There’s another apron in the pantry.”

Keith’s face burned as he found the apron, this one black and plain and tied it on. “Oh um, and I know how to make a wicked chocolate chip cookie dessert in a skillet. Do you have ice cream?”

“Yes, I’m sure I do...” Shiro started, then he stilled as Keith ducked behind him to properly tie apron. He blushed. “Thanks.”

Keith ducked his head and shrugged. “You’re welcome.”

…

“Okay,” Keith said as he pushed his plate away and sat back in his chair, “That may have been the best meal of my life.”

Shiro chuckled as he took one last bite of dessert. Keith had made a giant chocolate chip cookie in a cast-iron skillet and then topped it with a scoop of low-fat vanilla ice cream Shiro had in the freezer. Between that and the parmesan chicken, side salad and the fresh bread… “Yeah, I think you’re right.”

Outside the storm was raging on. While they had ate and made small talk the power had flickered every time lightning struck close by. Water ran down the windows and during one point the sound was interrupted by the sound of pea-sized hail striking against the glass. 

When Shiro stood to clear the table and put the leftovers in the refrigerator, Keith popped up to help him. He was covering the leftover chicken with saran wrap when Shiro passed behind him, their bodies brushing.

Keith gulped as electricity struck through him like a bolt of lightning. He paused, steadying his nerves, before putting the pan in the refrigerator. When he turned he saw that Shiro had gone into the living room and was looking out the window at the storm. Keith took a moment to just… look at him. All night he’d felt shockingly relaxed, which he didn’t think would be possible. Being here in Shiro’s home, where everything smelled like him and them being alone… he thought he’d be a nervous wreck. But instead it was like after Mario’s Pizza, when he had fallen asleep, lulled into a sense of security, knowing that Shiro would keep him safe and not hurt him.

After what happened in the parking garage it would have been easy for Keith to fear Shiro. The strength he had showed there had been extraordinary, and the fireceness in his eyes was enough to make any wolf submit belly-up. But Keith hadn’t felt any of those things when he’d stood staring into Shiro’s wolf eyes.

Shiro glanced at him. “What are you looking at?”

“Hm?” Keith asked, shaking himself out of the trance. “Um, the storm.”

He nodded. “It’s not letting up. I checked the radar and it looks like it could go on all night.”

Keith peered out the window and to the street below. Water was rushing down into the sewers but there was so much that it was flooding the street. When the wind picked up he couldn’t even see the buildings across the street. The street lights waved in the wind and any cars that drove by did so slowly to keep from hydroplaning out of control. The lights flickered again.

“So um,” Keith mumbled nervously, “what did… you want to do next?”

“Want to watch a movie?” Shiro asked.

No, he did not want to watch a movie. He stared at Shiro and swallowed hard. “Not really.”

Shiro turned to him, tilting his head. “Okay. Any other ideas?” he asked, voice suddenly rough.

Keith felt his heart start to pound. Slowly, because he was honestly scared at this very moment, he stepped up to Shiro. The man watched him, letting Keith make the first move, slowly sliding his hands up Shiro’s chest and over his shoulders. When beckoned Shiro leaned down.

The kiss was soft, just like it started off back in Keith’s apartment. Keith looped his arms around Shiro’s neck and stood on his toes, pressing the length of his body against the taller man’s. Shiro’s arm closed around him, his hand on Keith’s lower back, gripping the fabric there.

The heavy scent of arousal filled the space between them, making Keith gasp. Shiro pressed into the kiss, his lips sliding against Keith’s, his tongue licking against his lips. Keith willingly accepted the deep kiss, moaning as Shiro took control. The man’s kisses were deep and wet, drawing Keith to a level excitement he’d never experienced between.

When Keith rocked back onto his heels he was panting loudly. He curled his fingers into the fabric of Shiro’s shirt. “Wow.”

“Mm,” Shiro grunted, not done with Keith or his mouth. He leaned down to kiss him again.

Keith wobbled. Between Shiro’s overwhelming scent and the talented caress of his lips, Keith felt like he could fall over at any second. Shiro seemed to realize this, because suddenly he was maneuvering them to the couch where they sat down roughly. Without thinking about it, Keith immediately slipped into Shiro’s lap. He grabbed his face with his hands and kissed him hard, this time biting at Shiro’s lips and licking at his tongue. The man beneath him moaned, the voice deep and frantic. 

Shiro’s hand ran up the back of Keith’s shirt, caressing the knobs of his spine, grazing over healed scars, before coming to rest on his side, over the heavy mess of scars from werewolf teeth. Keith pulled back with a gasp.

“Can I?” Shiro asked, his voice gravely as he tugged at Keith’s shirt.

“S-sure,” he gasped and leaned back enough to pull off his shirt. He let it fall to the ground and sat, shaking in Shiro’s lap, while the man’s large warm hand caressed over his scars, and then up over his chest. It felt a trail of fire behind and Keith couldn’t stop another high whine from escaping him. He abruptly covered his mouth.

Then Shiro’s hand was pressing against his back and pushing him forward--Keith bit back a sound of surprise as Shiro started to kiss across his collarbone, down his chest--to his nipples. Keith’s loud whine finished in a gasping moan, because never once in his life had anyone made him feel this way, or done such things to him. And Shiro, with his talented mouth and tongue, just continued to lick and suck and bite--until Keith was tucking his face into Shiro’s shoulder and panting loudly.

Shiro’s hand caressed down Keith’s back until it was sliding down into the back of his pants--

“Ah--” Keith gasped. He straightened up, staring wide-eyed at Shiro, who had stopped kissing him and was staring at him with a furious hunger. When Keith shifted he could feel that Shiro was hard beneath him and his hand-- his hand was down the back of his pants and caressing his ass. He felt himself shake..

“Is this okay?” Shiro asked as he stared at Keith’s face, which was flushed. His pupils were huge and his lips were raw from being bitten. And his scent… fuck, his scent. Shiro thought he was going to drown in Keith’s sweet, alluring scent. He took a deep breath and felt more heat flooding into his dick, which was starting to ache in his pants. He wanted to devour Keith, he wanted to kiss and bite and suck every part of him, and then he wanted to--

“Keith,” Shiro ground out when the young man didn't answer.

Keith, too flustered for words, nodded shakily. He pressed his ass back against Shiro’s hand. “Y-yes,” he finally gasp.

Shiro nodded. For the first time since Sendak’s attack and his amputation did Shiro really miss having two hands. Yes, there were a lot of things he had to adjust in real life, from simple tasks like using the bathroom to cooking, to more difficult things like driving a car and shopping for groceries and going to the gym. But right now, all he wanted to do was touch the beautiful man in his lap with both hands. There was nothing he could do about it, though, so he would have to make due.

Suddenly he turned them, dumping Keith onto the couch. He leaned over him, staring at his face, before his hand started to work at Keith’s jeans. Keith, after a second of hesitation, pushed Shiro’s hand away and started to undo his belt and zipper himself.

“Off,” Shiro ordered roughly, “take them off.”

“Off?” Keith repeated nervously.

“Yes,” Shiro said. “Is that okay?”

Keith stared at him. The position they were in right now was one that Keith had daydreamed about a lot at work or in the shower. Shiro looming over him, all power and masculinity, with his wide shoulders and his pelvis resting against Keith’s. He could smell the man’s arousal, it was a thick heavy scent, one that he could taste in the air and left a film in the back of his throat. When he panted with his mouth open it was all he could taste and smell.

“Y-yes,” he finally stammered. He had to squirm around a bit to get the skinny jeans off, leaving him in just his boxers. When he touched the waistband to remove them, Shiro’s hand stopped him. “Shiro?”

Instead, Shiro ran his hand over Keith’s stomach and down… reaching into his boxers…

“Oh--fuck,” Keith rambled. Shiro’s hand was in his boxers, his fingers wrapping around his cock, pulling it out--touching it, rubbing it, and then, the unmistakable feeling of lips and tongue. “Ah!”

Keith squirmed on the couch, hands reaching to hold onto whatever they could grasp. One tangled in Shiro’s hair, the other gripped the pillow behind his head. His hips thrust up on their own until Shiro’s hand pressed against his pelvis, pinning him down. His mouth slowly swallowed Keith, inch by inch; wet and hot with his tongue licking. Keith moaned in response, loud and needy. 

He only dared to look down once, and the site of Shiro’s head bobbing between his legs was enough that Keith’s entire body jerked and he nearly came. “Fuck!” he cried.

A low, rumbling laugh answered him. “You taste delicious.”

“Shut up,” Keith gasped. He tried to move his hips but Shiro easily kept him pinned. “That’s embarrassing.”

“Is it?” Shiro asked between long licks. “Mm, you taste better than dessert. And there’s something with your scent… it’s so… it’s like I can’t resist. I could get drunk just smelling your skin, and the scent that’s coming from _here._ ” he said with a wet kiss to Keith’s cock, “this is like heaven. God, I just want to…” He didn’t finish only swallowed Keith again.

It was too much. The mouth around his cock, the hand holding him down, the pheromones from Shiro that made him almost delirious. He came with a stutter and a sob, hand pulling at Shiro’s hair as the man swallowed everything he offered.

Keith lay panting, covered in sweat, and still riding the high of his orgasm when Shiro settled against his hips and leaned over him. Lips touched his own and Keith tilted his head up, desperate.

“You’re so beautiful,” Shiro groaned. He wanted to fuck him, wanted to turn Keith over and take him for the rest of the night, over and over, but something was holding him back. Was Keith ready for that? Hell, was Shiro? Shiro had always viewed sex as a commitment, something that you only shared with someone you loved and wanted to be with.

And while there was no doubt in Shiro’s mind that he was in love with Keith, he didn’t know how Keith felt.

Nimble, gentle hands were suddenly working at Shiro’s belt. He lifted his hips and without breaking the kiss, allowed Keith to push down his jeans and reach down, pulling aching cock from his jeans.

“Jesus,” Keith gasped. He suspected that Shiro would be hung like a horse, but he hadn’t thought literally.

Shiro blushed. “Uh?”

“You’re huge,” he gaped 

“I hope that’s not a problem,” Shiro asked, now feeling a little nervous.

“S-sit back,” Keith requested softly. He squeezed his hand around the thick girth of Shiro’s cock. “Please?”

He didn’t need to be asked twice. He sat back on the couch, feet on the floor and legs spread, giving Keith the space he needed to kneel between his legs. Shiro stared down at him, watching as Keith gently ran his fingers over his cock, petting almost delicately, before leaning in to kiss--

“Aaah,” Shiro groaned, dropping his head back. “Do what you want, baby.”

Keith shuddered. He’d never done this before. What if he fucked up? What if he bit him? Or choked? Or threw up? What if Shiro didn’t come? Shiro’s cock was big, and Keith didn’t think he could do what Shiro had just done to him. What if… what if…

Closing his eyes, he opened his mouth, slowly taking the heavy cock into his mouth. But when it was too much he jerked back, coughing into his hand.

“Woah,” Shiro said, looking down at Keith. He rested his hand on the nape of his neck, petting gently. “Keith, don’t do anything you aren’t comfortable with. Do whatever you want, do you hear me? You don’t have to deep-throat me.”

Keith blushed, eyes shining with tears. “I’m sorry, I’ve never done this.” 

Shiro smiled gently. “Keith, I don’t care what you do, as long as you touch me.”

Keith stared at him. Shiro _meant it._ He wasn’t angry or disappointed, he wasn’t judging Keith on what he couldn’t do. All he wanted was contact from Keith, in whatever shape or form that meant. So Keith, slowly, stood up an kicked off his boxers before he got into Shiro’s lap. He took Shiro’s cock in his hands and started to stroke it up and down, moving his hands in ways that he did to himself at home and in bed. Shiro’s let out a low sounding moan before leaning forward to kiss him.

The more he touched Shiro, the deeper the man’s kisses became. Keith started to roll his hips, letting Shiro’s cock grind into his stomach, which made the man moan. Shiro’s hand slid down his back to his ass to grasp one cheek and squeeze, urging him to ride him harder.

“Holy fuck,” Shiro groaned as he watched Keith grind down, with his hands stroking his cock. “Give me what I need, baby.”

Keith pressed his head against Shiro’s shoulder as he moved against him, mimicking sex, while listening as Shiro’s breathing started to pick up and then hitch and his entire body jerked. Shiro thrust up against him, jostling him in his lap; his cock sliding between Keith’s hands as he pumped him until he was softening and Keith’s hands were sticky.

Shiro let out a long, low moan of euphoria. “Keith,” he gasped. “Ah god, Keith.”

Keith tucked himself against Shiro’s chest. Now that all was said and done, he was very much aware he was naked in Shiro’s lap. Naked, and dirty, with little bruises forming from Shiro’s mouth and little bites from Shiro’s teeth. It was… it was heavenly. But he found he couldn’t look Shiro in the face.

The man chuckled, hand touching Keith’s hair and petting. “You okay?” 

“Mm-hm,” he hummed.

“Keith, don’t tell me you’re embarrassed,” Shiro asked in surprise. When Keith shrugged his shoulders, Shiro only laughed warmly. “Oh, baby, you have no idea how precious you are.”

Keith lifted his head. “You are such a dork.”

He smiled triumphantly, because he had wanted to see Keith’s face. “That is well established.” With a grunt he wrapped his arm around Keith and turned them, this time Shiro lying back on the couch with Keith across him. He cradled him close, lazily petting his fingers through Keith’s hair. Keith tucked himself against Shiro before reaching for the blanket on the back of the couch. He jerked it over himself and then sighed heavily.

Outside the storm raged on.

…

When Keith opened his eyes next he found that Shiro was asleep and the television was on, with a comedy sitcom rerun playing, and the storm was still in full destructive force. He shifted and he felt that Shiro’s hand was cupping his ass. He blushed hotly, hiding his face against Shiro’s chest. 

Unfortunately Keith needed to get up. He needed to clean off and dress. Slowly, trying not to wake Shiro, he moved the man’s hand from his ass and then stood up. He grabbed his clothes and then headed down the hallway for the bathroom.

He didn’t think Shiro would mind if he showered, so he pulled his hair free from what was left of the messy bun and turned to the shower, sliding open the glass door. When hot water started to spray from the showerhead he quickly stepped inside just as the stall filled with steam. He found the soap and washed himself down, gliding his hands slowly down his stomach and over his thighs. He closed his eyes, remembering how Shiro had touched him, kissed him; everything he did expertly and perfect.

“Okay, focus,” Keith told himself before his imagine could run too wild. He rinsed off and stepped out of the shower to dry off and pulled his shirt, but he hesitated when it came to his jeans. It was already late, he didn’t think he would be going home, so he just pulled on his boxers.

He heard movement from the other room and peered out of the bathroom and down the hallway. Shiro had moved from the couch and when Keith walked slowly down the hall he saw that he was in the kitchen with a bottle of water. He watched as Shiro tilted his head up, gulping the water. How was it possible that something so simple was so sexy?

Shiro turned when he realized Keith was watching him. “Hey there,” he said with a pleasant smile. His eyes dropped, immediately focusing on Shiro’s bare feet and legs. 

“What time is it?” Keith asked as he draped his folded jeans over the back of a chair.

“Mm, almost ten,” Shiro told him. He looked at Keith again, eyes softening. “I could drive you home if you wanted but,” he gestured outside, “it’s still pretty nasty out there.”

“I don’t mind staying over if, if you don’t,” Keith said with a shrug.

“I one-hundred-percent don’t mind,” he said. “I am going to go change into something else though.”

“Okay,” Keith said, giddy with excitement. He watched Shiro walk away and bit his lip. Such a nice ass. Then he picked up his phone from where he had left it in the kitchen with the sound turned off. He saw that he had six text messages from his friends. Inwardly he groaned. _This should be interesting._

**Hunk (6:00pm) Hope you’re having a good date! Pidge hopes you get laid.**

**Lance (6:10pm) PLZ don’t subject Shiro 2 seeing ur hideous naked body. That man is 2 beautiful for a gremlin like u.**

**Lance (6:11pm) Pidge says I should apologize but I won’t.**

**Hunk (6:30pm) Ignore Lance. Pidge has him in a head-lock.** There was a picture attached of just that.

**Pidge (7:25pm) Since you haven’t replied, and assuming you aren’t ignoring us, can I just salute you and say: Godspeed, Kogane.**

**Hunk (7:45pm) Maybe you should spend the night. The weather is really shitty here.**

Keith leaned his hip on the counter and send Hunk a reply.

**Keith (9:48pm) You guys are the worst. I am going to spend the night. Because of the weather. See you tomorrow.**

He had just set his phone done when he received a text from Hunk. It was a picture of the three of them using a filter that made them all have big emoji heart eyes. He groaned and set the phone down, not bothering to send them a reply.

He could hear the shower running and took a moment to imagine Shiro under the hot spray of water and soapy. “Umph,” he sighed and tried to push that image from his head. Instead he went into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of raspberry tea and then went back to the living room. He browsed over Shiro’s collection of DVDs, trying to decide on one they could watch, when he saw that he had the 25th anniversary blu-ray of The Last Starfighter. He picked it off the shelf.

“Find something?” asked Shiro as he walked into the room.

“This was my favorite movie as a kid,” Keith said as he stared at it.

“Let’s watch it,” Shiro said. “I’ll make some popcorn.”

“Are you sure?” Keith asked and turned, only to swallow his tongue. Shiro was damp from showering and only wearing a pair of black sweats that were clinging to his hips for dear life. He hiccuped.

“I wouldn’t own if it I didn’t like the movie, Keith,” Shiro pointed out as he rummaged around for a box of microwavable popcorn. “Let’s see, I have butter and marshmallow. Do you have a preference?”

He didn’t answer for a second, too mesmerized by the way the muscles in Shiro’s back rippled as he moved. Then he coughed and cleared his throat. “I’ve never had marshmallow popcorn. What is it exactly?”

“Normal popcorn with a coating of marshmallow cream,” Shiro said. “It’s sinful.”

“Make it. I like marshmallows,” He continued to stare at Shiro, until the man turned around. Quickly Keith turned away so he wouldn’t be caught staring and knelt in front of the television and blu-ray player. After putting in the disc and adjusting the volume he went and sat on the couch, grabbing the same blanket from before.

“Caution, it’s kind of sticky,” Shiro said as he came in with a bowl of marshmallow coated popcorn.

Keith, remembering the last thing that had made his hands sticky, blushed hotly. “Okay.” The blush only grew when Shiro sat down right against him, the bowl of popcorn in his lap. He dared to glance at the man’s bare chest. He had fresh scars scattered around his chest and lower stomach, but they were the least distracting thing. Had Shiro put on more muscle? Did he have a tan? 

“Keith?” Shiro asked, laughing softly. “Want to start the movie?”

Keith jumped and blinked at Shiro before turning away. He grabbed a handful of popcorn and shoved it in his mouth while he started the movie. Unable to resist the lure of Shiro’s warmth and fresh, clean scent, Keith leaned against his shoulder and brought his legs up, crossing them, which rested his bare leg across Shiro’s thigh.

As the movie played on Keith grew sleepy and tucked him back against Shiro’s shoulder. They made comments about the movie, talking about the plot, the aliens, the spaceships, even talking about childhood dreams of wanting to be a astronaut or x-wing pilot or a defender of the universe. 

Just as the end credits began to roll Keith started to fall asleep. He slumped against Shiro who chuckled, leaning forward to put the empty popcorn bowl on the coffee table. He nudged Keith with his shoulder to wake him. 

“Hey sleepyhead, let’s go to bed.”

“Hm?” Keith asked drowsily.

“The bedroom, come on,” he said as he stood. He had turned off the lights when they started the movie and now with the television turned off the apartment was dark, save for the moments lightning flashed outside. He reached down, taking Keith by his wrist and pulling him up. The young man leaned against him, arms wrapped around Shiro’s middle, and shuffled with him down the hallway to the bedroom.

He gave Keith a little push toward the bed and walked to the other side. Keith flopped down, rolling over when Shiro laid down next to him. Shiro watched as Keith attached himself with a soft, contented sigh.

“Sleep well, baby.”

…

Keith woke to the sound of birds. He raised his head and blinked at the unfamiliar bedroom. The walls were a very light grey, and over the bed was a small ceiling fan that was currently off. The bed was a large king with white and grey sheets, and the headboard was up against a large open window that looked over the city. When Keith sat up he saw that the storm had finally stopped and the sun was shining brightly through the window. He turned away from it and stretched his hands above his head, yawning loudly.

“Good morning,” Shiro chirped as he stepped into the bedroom carefully carrying two coffee cups in one hand.

Keith reached for the cup offered to him and was pleased to saw that Shiro had made him a vanilla latte. He took a sip. “Mm! Thank you. It’s delicious”

Shiro sat down on the bed and took a sip of his own coffee. “I could say the same about you.”

Keith blushed. “Are you always going to say things like that?”

“When it comes to you? Absolutely,” Shiro said with a grin. He wanted to add more, he wanted to tell Keith how beautiful he looked in his bed, that the sight of soft bruises on Keith’s skin turned him on because he was the one that made them, that he had wanted to wake Keith with kisses and a hand in his boxers, and that he wanted Keith to touch him again until he was coming.

But he didn’t say any of those things, and instead decided to bring up something he should have said last night, “I have to tell you something, and I hope you aren’t mad at me for keeping it from you. Yesterday was so great and it was our first date and I didn’t want to ruin the mood.”

Keith pulled his legs up, crossing them and gripped the Star Wars coffee mug between his hands. “What is it?” he asked nervously.

“I saw Sendak at the gym yesterday morning,” Shiro said, and went on to tell Keith the entire conversation the two had shared. He watched Keith’s expressions, ranging from shock to anger, and for a moment he was worried that that anger would be focused on himself. 

Instead Keith said, “So in two months we’ll kill him.”

Shiro stared at him in the sunlight. Keith’s eyes were fierce for a moment, but then he was sipping his latte and turning his face to the sun, letting it warm his skin. His hair was messy around his head and face, but the black strands were shining and looked so very soft. The t-shirt he was wearing was black on the back and sleeves, with a bright, colorful galaxy cloud on the front. The colors complimented his skin and hair. And Shiro was astounded by his beauty.

“I guess we will,” he finally agreed. “We’re going to have to watch our backs, though. Hunk and Lance are especially vulnerable.”

Keith nodded. “I guess I’ll have a roommate for a while longer.”

“It’s not so bad, is it?”

Keith smiled. “Actually, it’s not. Well, until Hunk lets Lance into my apartment.”

Shiro snorted into his coffee. “I can imagine how you feel about that.”

He shrugged. “I um… I had a lot of fun last night,” he said softly between sips of coffee. He kept his eyes down, not sure if he could look Shiro in the eyes as he spoke. “With everything. Not just… you know.”

“Dinner?”

“You’re funny,” Keith said sarcastically, as he looked up.

Shiro shrugged and smiled. “Well, I personally, would love to do it all again.”

Keith swallowed hard. “All of it?”

“Mm-hm,” Shiro hummed as he sipped his black coffee. “And maybe, a little bit more?”

Keith squeezed the cup between his hands. “I would like that.”

Shiro held up his coffee cup and waited until Keith did the same and they gently clinked the mugs together. “It’s a date.”


	10. Pack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How about those s7 spoilers out of SDCC? omg guys xoxo

It didn’t take long for Keith and Hunk to fall into a routine. Hunk worked thirty-six hours at his restaurant and Keith worked three to four twelve-hour days at his. When Keith wasn’t home Hunk spent most of his time with Lance, in Keith’s apartment to his chagrin, however he couldn’t complain too much when he came home sweaty and completely exhausted to a large dinner waiting for him in the microwave or still warm in the oven.

“I know you’re using food to manipulate me,” Keith said one evening when he and Hunk were on the couch watching The Great British Bake Off. Keith had a plate of food in his lap: homemade macaroni and cheese with bacon and crispy chunks of chicken, green beans, and a garlic bread from the restaurant.

“Does it really bother you?” Hunk asked with a grin.

Keith wrinkled his nose. “No.”

Hunk chuckled with delight. “Besides, I keep Lance out of your bedroom, just like I promised.”

“Hm,” he hummed as he ate. 

“Oh, so Pidge text me earlier,” Hunk said as he grabbed his phone off the arm of the couch. “She wants to know if you have tomorrow off because she wants to meet at Voltron.”

Keith took the time to swallow his food before answering, “Yeah, they gave me Friday off since I worked Wednesday and Thursday.”

“Yay!” Hunk chirped as he sent Pidge a text. “And Allura is coming.”

Keith looked at Hunk curiously. “She is? Why?” Allura hadn’t let up on Keith with his extra work hours. They had met three nights this week in the park to train Keith. He wrinkled his nose just thinking about it. They were making progress, and Keith’s dreams were growing more and more intense, which he thought was a good sign, but he had yet to complete the change from man to wolf.

“She and Pidge game online,” Hunk chuckled, “can you believe it?”

“Allura… games? What?”

“World of Warcraft,” Hunk said. “You can image how Lance feels about this.”

“Jesus,” Keith groaned. Lance referred to himself as the King of WoW and spent a lot of time playing. Now that he was bunking with Pidge, they spent even more time online together. He could just about imagine Lance’s reaction to finding out that Allura played. “Please tell me she plays some big hairy goblin.”

“Nope,” Hunk chuckled, “Ethereal archer elf with a giant white lion.”

“Does it match Lance’s blue lion?”

“I’m surprised you remember he has a blue lion.”

“He’s sent me screenshots of it before I blocked his email.”

Hunk howled. “That’s amazing. I gotta tell Pidge.”

“No!” Keith yelped, “she’ll tell Lance and he’ll--make a new email or some shit and annoy me all over again!”

Hunk collapsed on the couch laughing loudly. “But it would be so much fun!”

“Don’t please,” Keith finally begged. “I can’t deal with anymore vacation photos.”

“Hm,” Hunk hummed, “not a fan of Lance in a speedo?”

“Please, I’m trying to eat.”

Hunk raised his hands in surrender. “All right, fine.” He settled back on the couch, watching as the contestants waited in anticipation as their cakes were judged. “I’d love to be on this show.”

“You’d win,” Keith said confidently.

“Aw, that means a lot to me, Keith.”

…

**Shiro (9:45pm) How was work?**

**Keith (9:47pm) Tiring. But I don’t go back until Monday. How was your day? Did you get that job?**

**Shiro (9:49pm) ‘Overqualified.’ I had another interview, but the second they saw I was missing an arm I knew I wasn’t going to get it.**

**Keith (9:49pm) That’s horse shit!**

**Keith (9:50pm) They can’t deny you a job just because you’re missing an arm!**

**Shiro (9:50pm) I know that, and they do too. But it’s too tiring to fight it. There are other jobs.**

**Keith (9:51pm) I’m sorry. Maybe we can get together this weekend and I’ll make you feel better?**

It was a bold thing for Keith to say, but he hadn’t seen Shiro since their date. Between working, training, and Shiro’s job hunting, there just hadn’t been time. They had talked on the phone, sent a million text messages, and exchanged enough photos to fill an album, but it wasn’t the same. Keith had started to wonder if the reason he wasn’t making progress with Allura was because he missed Shiro so damn much.

The reply wasn’t a message, but a photo. Shiro lying in bed, shirtless and in nothing but boxers that were hanging quite low.

Keith closed his eyes. “How are you so goddamn sexy?” he said to himself. He wanted to send a photo back, but he was tired and his hair was wet and he wasn’t feeling attractive at all.

**Keith (9:55pm) Maybe without the pants.**

**Shiro (9:56pm) Seriously?**

**Keith (9:56pm) I meant when we get together!** Keith felt his face burn as he quickly text back.

**Shiro (9:57pm) lol. I will if you want me too.**

Keith bit his lip. But if he had a picture of Shiro naked on his phone… No. Better not.

**Keith (9:58pm) If you do that then I’ll probably lose my job because I’ll be too busy staring at you all day and night.**

**Shiro (9:59pm) Okay lol. It’s getting late. I’ll see you tomorrow at Voltron?**

**Keith (10:00pm) Okay. Miss you.**

**Shiro (10:01pm) Miss you, too. Sweet dreams, baby.**

Keith groaned, collapsing back on the bed with his hand pressed against his chest. God, he was so in love.

…

”Oh, Shiro, Lance!” Allura called as she walked toward the two men who were currently standing outside Voltron. It was warm and muggy and had been raining since before five. Allura carried a purple umbrella and was wearing short black rain boots. 

Shiro turned away from Lance and waved to the approaching she-wolf. They were standing under the awning that stretched over the front door of Voltron. Shiro glanced at the Lance, who was blushing as he waved to the woman approaching them.

Allura stepped up to them and shook out her umbrella before shaking it dry. Her white hair was slightly frizzy from the humidity and she tried not to fuss with it too much. “Are we the only ones here?”

“Yeah,” Lance answered, “Hunk and Pidge are riding with Keith.”

“They should be here soon,” Shiro added, his brain abuzz with anticipation. “How have you been, Allura?”

“Very well,” she said with a grin. “So, Shiro, Lance told me about what happened in the parking garage.”

Shiro glanced at Lance who ignored him and focused on a crack in the sidewalk. “Oh yeah? Is... that normal?”

“No,” Allura said with a shake of her head. “It’s not unheard of, such power and magnetism, but it is rare. The only other wolf I’ve heard of with such puissance is Zarkon.”

Lance’s raised his head so fast his neck popped. “Zarkon? As in… Zarkon Financial? The businessman who owns half of the upper city? Like, every five-star restaurant and hotel and most the lawyers in the city? He’s a _werewolf?_ ”

Allura nodded. “Indeed he is. And he’s one your best to stay away from.”

Shiro was rubbing the back of his head. “I have a job offer at one of their law offices for security.”

“I’d suggest not taking that job,” Lance said worriedly.

Allura cocked her head back and forth. “I don’t think Zarkon is someone you need to worry about unless you were to provoke him… but, I agree with Lance, you should stay away. One whiff of you and he might feel threatened.”

“Noted,” Shiro said with somewhat wide eyes. “I’ll call and cancel that appointment. But um, I did want to talk to you some more about… all this. Do you want to get coffee sometime?”

“I have morning shifts all week,” she said, “maybe a late coffee? Or dinner?”

“We’ll make it work,” Shiro promised. He felt Lance’s eyes on him but ignored the human. Instead he pulled out his phone to cancel his job interview. He was running low on options. His mother was helping him with the rent, but he couldn’t rely on her forever. He was going to have to settle for something. Even if it was waiting on tables or mopping floors.

Allura turned just as Hunk, Keith and Pidge sprinted up to them through the rain, not one of them had an umbrella, but at least Keith and Pidge were wearing jackets with their hoods pulled up. Hunk on the other hand was pretty wet from the rain. 

There wasn’t enough room undering the awning so the group went straight inside the door. Keith stepped aside, waiting for Shiro, who stopped in with him. 

Keith was about to speak with Shiro scooped him him up against him, holding Keith easily with one arm. “Oof!” Keith gasped in surprise. “Be careful, my coat is soaked.”

“I don’t care,” Shiro said as he pressed several open-mouthed kisses along Keith’s neck before capturing his mouth. “I missed you so much.”

Keith exhaled into the kiss as he melted against Shiro. He wrapped both arms around his neck to help hold himself up. Keith slanted his mouth over Shiro’s licking eagerly at his mouth until Shiro’s lips parted. The kiss was deep and hot, and he found himself moaning in pleasure. “I missed you--” Keith murmured between kisses.

“Ew you guys,” Pidge groaned. She had drawn the short straw and had returned to find the two. “Get a room.”

“Okay, let’s leave,” Keith said as Shiro set him down on his feet.

“No!” Pidge snapped as she grabbed Keith’s hand. “Get a room _later._ Now we eat and game.”

The group settled at their usual table just under the mural of the mecha fighting a monster in the middle of a huge city. After their first date, when Shiro had told Keith about Sendak’s promise and threat, the two had gathered the pack together to relay the message. It had simultaneously taken off stress and added stress to the group, but as far as Shiro could tell, everyone seemed to be a little lighter. Yes, Sendak was still hunting them and their lives were in danger, but no one thought Sendak would do anything drastic before the two months was up.

“He’ll probably kidnap all of us and force Shiro to fight for all our lives,” Lance had said casually. “Like in the movies!”

“Yeah I’d rather that not happen, Lance,” Shiro had answered with a panicked expression. But it had give him something to think about, because it sounded like something Sendak would do. Set the stage, put all the pieces in place, then lure Shiro in with the threat of killing all his friends. Shiro really wished Lance hadn’t brought it up.

It was a different waitress tonight who brought them their menus and water. Shiro leaned his shoulder against Keith as he flipped through it. He had to admit, one bonus of being a werewolf was not having to watch how much he ate. Instead of putting on pounds he’d put on muscle and had never felt so fit in his life.

Keith smiled as Shiro leaned against him. He had worried that returning here might make him feel anxious or guilty about the way things ended last time, but he found that he wasn’t even thinking about it what happened in the photo booth. Now he was just thinking about spending time with Shiro and the others, doing things like a normal group of friends.

“Allura,” Lance said after they had received their food and drink orders, “I would like to extend an invitation to you.”

The she-wolf leaned forward in anticipation. “Oh?”

“Yes,” he said as he glanced at Pidge and Hunk for their okays. When both nodded he continued. “You see, we are a simple group, a Rebel Alliance you could say, and we would like to invite you to join us.”

A slow smile spread across Allura’s face and she raised her eyebrows. “A Rebel Alliance?”

“Star Wars,” Hunk said between fries.

“Yes, I know Hunk,” Allura laughed. “Is this… what you call your pack?”

The three exchanged looks and then they were looking at Keith and Shiro. “I guess we are a pack,” Pidge said, “if you join, we’ll be half werewolves and half not.”

“Okay, then sure,” Lance said as he waved his hand, “would you want to join our pack?”

Allura, Pidge and even Keith knew that joining a werewolf pack was not like joining a group of nerds who played too many games and at too much greasy food, but they were quiet to point out the differences, because why did they have to adhere to werewolf rules? Pidge was a shapeshifter, Hunk was essentially a human, and Lance was one-hundred percent. Why did they have to have a pack hierarchy? 

“All right,” Allura said with a shrug. “I accept your invitation. Should I wear my hair in buns like Princess Leia?”

“Will you wear a gold bikini?” Lance asked, his voice dry and somewhat high-pitched.

Hunk laughed at him and him under the table. “Respect the lady.”

“I am!” Lance exclaimed as his face reddened. “I was just asking.”

“I have cosplayed that, actually,” Allura said with a laugh. “It was… strangely empowering.”

“Probably because every man and woman who saw you acted like Lance,” Pidge snickered. “Your royal subjects.”

If possible, Lance’s face reddened even more. Finally he downed his drink and cleared his throat. “Whatever R2-D2.”

Pidge sputtered. “I am _not_ \--”

“Oh ho! I can totally see it,” Hunk laughed.

“Laugh it up, fuzzball,” Pidge grunted.

“Oh my god,” Allura laughed. 

“Right,” Hunk said quickly, “what’s the agenda for tonight?” Shay had the night off and was at a concert with her family, so Hunk’s attention was focussed completely on their group.

“Well,” Pidge said as she pushed her empty plate away, “obviously a Mortal Kombat rematch.”

Shiro hummed. “For the crown?”

“To the death!” Lance declared dramatically.

“Fine with me,” Keith grunted as he finished his chicken sandwich.

“You’re all talk, mullet,” Lance leered. “I have no doubts with Shiro’s skills but you’re gonna loooooose.”

Keith’s mouth twisted into an irritated frown. “Shiro and I are going to wipe the floor with your face.”

“Well, Shiro can do that to me any day.”

“Ugh, Lance,” Shiro groaned.

…

“Okay, pick something out.”

“You won most of the tickets,” Keith argued.

“Well, I want to get you something,” Shiro said as he slung his arm around Keith’s shoulders.

“You already won me a lion,” Keith said and held up the little red lion that Shiro had won from the claw machine. “And we kicked Lance’s ass at every game he challenged us to,” which was where most of the tickets came from.

“Keith.”

“Fine,” he said with a laugh. He leaned over, looking at all the prize options from the awards booth. Mostly it was silly little things like erasers and pencil bags, mini crossword books and puzzles. There were plastic rings and necklaces, headbands with ears on them, and pieces of what mostly looked like cheap jewelry. There were larger prizes of course, like t-shirts with Voltron! written across the chest, a leather jacket, coupons and gift cards to the restaurant and/or arcade, even a mega-grand prize that was a Storm Trooper helmet signed by George Lucas. “How about…”

Shiro looked at what Keith was pointing at and almost swallowed his tongue. He handed over the appropriate amount of tickets and watched as Keith took the black, silk choker from the woman behind the booth. He clipped it on and smoothed it out. 

“What do you think?” Keith asked, turning and tilting his head up at Shiro.

“You’re spending the night, right?” Shiro asked, mouth suddenly dry and heart pounding.

Keith raised an eyebrow before he blushed hotly. “Oh--um… Sure. But I think… the others are waiting on us.”

Shiro cupped the back of Keith’s head, pulling him forward for a kiss before taking his hand and walking with him through the restaurant and into the arcade. First he had a rematch with Hunk at the whack-a-mole, and then Pidge challenged Keith to air hockey while Hunk and Lance dragged Shiro away for play Wheel of Fortune (where Shiro had won the other half of his tickets.)

“Nice choker,” Pidge said with a smirk, “trying to give Shiro a heart attack?”

Keith blinked. “What?”

“Keith,” she all but scolded, “that is hot. You did realize that, right?” 

“No… I just thought it was the least cheap-looking thing there,” he said honestly.

“Oh, Keith,” Pidge sighed, “thank god you found Shiro. You clueless little pup.”

He rolled his eyes. “I’m not a pup. And I’m not clueless!”

“Yes and yes,” she argued playfully. “But I’m proud of you.”

“For what? For wearing this?”

“No, for opening up,” she said. She knew that in his pocket Keith had carefully folded pictures from the photo booth. Of the group of them, and then of just him and Shiro. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so happy.”

Keith could have tried arguing with her, but she was right, he couldn’t remembering being this happy either. “It’s a little scary,” he admitted as they continued to play. “I feel like… I could lose it at any second.”

“Well, then you better treat every moment with that man like it is your last second,” she said. “Don’t take him for granted.”

He remembered how Shiro had asked him to spend the night. “I promise not to.”

They played until Pidge beat him for the fourth time and he gave up, going to find Shiro, who was with Lance, Allura and Hunk, only he was standing back and watching them at the arcade and not participating. Keith touched his hand and pulled him away. They crossed the busy arcade until they were outside after going through the backdoors that lead to a patio deck surrounded by a fence. Usually it was filled with people stopping for a smoke, but right now they were the only ones there. The string lights that criss-crossed above them cast the patio in a dull yellow glow. Moths fluttered around the lights, making shadows dance.

“This has been fun,” Keith confessed.

“It really has,” Shiro agreed. “Is this how it is in a werewolf pack?”

“No,” Keith said, “packs are rarely are made up of friends. I mean--in the end hopefully everyone becomes friends, but packs are usually just whoever the alpha invites in. Sometimes they’re single wolves, sometimes they’re couples. It varies.”

“Then I’m glad this is my pack,” Shiro said happily. Keith had turned to look at the view of the city, leaning his elbows on the fence; the city glowed with bright lights of downtown in the late night. He stepped up behind Keith, until they were touching, and rested his chin on Keith’s head.

“Yeah,” Keith agreed quietly. He pressed back against Shiro. The rain had stopped and the air was heavy with the scent of wet streets and food from the restaurant, but mostly it was Shiro he could smell. He shivered as he stood on his toes and tilted his head back so he could kiss at Shiro’s chin. When he felt a low vibrating hum in Shiro’s chest he kissed to down Shiro’s neck and gave it a sharp little nip. Shiro in reply ran his hand along Keith’s ribs and--tickled him.

Keith squirmed away with a yelp and a laugh. “Hey!” he gasped. “None of that now.”

“Oh,” Shiro said with a smug grin. “I didn’t realize you were ticklish.”

“I’m not,” Keith lied.

“Let’s found out.” It turned into a game, Shiro stalking Keith around the closed quarters of the deck, which was filled with lounge furniture and tables, lunging at him only to have Keith easily dart out of his grasp. Keith was light on his feet and quick, dodging Shiro’s every attempt to grab him, until finally, Shiro cornered him.

“Don’t you dare jump,” Shiro warned Keith when he looked over the patio fencing, “I caught you.”

Keith had actually been thinking of doing just that. Instead he leaned back, staring at Shiro as he approached him. “I’ll bite you,” he threatened.

Shiro laughed. “I might like that.”

“Oh, you’re--” Keith yelped when Shiro grabbed him and started to tickle him. He laughed, squirming until his back was to Shiro’s chest and he was being dragged back toward an outdoor sofa. He wiggled them around and finally tackled Shiro back onto the damp cushions. The larger man landed on his back with an _umph!_ and Keith straddling him across his hips. Keith grinned triumphantly.

Shiro threw his hand up behind his head. “I surrender! I’m at your mercy.”

“Big bad alpha, taken down by one weak little omega,” Keith laughed. He rested his hands on Shiro’s chest and had to resist fondling Shiro’s pecs because _holy shit._

“I’ll submit to you any day,” Shiro said, voice rough and sweet. 

“Hey are you guys all… oh, sorry!”

Keith looked up as Hunk walked outside, only to freeze and turn red. Keith froze in surprise, staring at the other man. “Um--it’s not what it looks like?” he blurted out.

“We’re just playing around,” Shiro said easily as he craned his head back to look at Hunk. “What’s up?”

“We were going to start heading out,” Hunk said as he ran his hand through his hair and tried to look anywhere than his friends in their compromising position. “It’s almost two.”

Keith’s eyes bugged for a moment. “Two...in the morning?”

“Yeah,” Hunk laughed. “Time flies when you’re having fun!”

Keith slowly stood and offered Shiro his hand, tugging him to his feet. “Uh, hey Hunk?” Keith said as he fished his keys from his pocket. “I was going to um, stay with Shiro so uh, you can take the Jeep and drive you and Pidge home.”

Hunk’s smiled as wide. “Ooooooh yeah?”

“Shut up,” Keith bit out with a blush. “You can always walk.”

Hunk snatched the keys from him. “Have a good sleepover.”

“Can you take this for me, too?” Keith asked as he handed Hunk the plush little lion.

“Aww!” Hunk said.

“Shut up,” Keith laughed as Hunk left. He shoved his hands on the pockets of his jacket and turned to Shiro. “So…”

Shiro tilted his head, smiling. “Ready to go?”

“I’ve been ready for a while,” Keith said with a grin that wrinkled his nose. 

Shiro offered Keith his hand and together they left the arcade, walking until they found Shiro’s Dodge parked along the curb. The drive was short and quiet, Keith content with watching the city lights blur by the window. The clouds had cleared up and the sky was open and sprinkled with the few bright stars that made it through. 

The energy in the car changed once they were parked outside Shiro’s building. Keith looked at Shiro and was ready to crawl across the seat and into Shiro’s lap when Shiro left the car. Keith turned, jumping out of the passenger side door, just as Shiro reached him and pushed him back against it, crushing their lips together.

Keith moaned softly, tangling his hands in Shiro’s hair. “Mm,” he whined. 

Shiro answered him with a little growl. “Let’s get upstairs.”

Keith nodded and grabbed the alpha’s hand. It was two in the morning so they were quiet as they crossed the lobby and took the stairs up to Shiro’s apartment, but once they were inside Keith kicked off his shoes and was shrugging out of his coat when Shiro caught him in another deep, demanding kiss.

Without breaking the kiss they made their way (rather clumsily) to the bedroom. By that time Keith was stumbling out of his jeans, his hair was a mess, his skin was flushed and hot. With a gasp he pulled away from Shiro in order to pull off his shirt and let it fall to the floor. Then he was helping Shiro with his clothes, and kissing every inch of skin that was exposed.

“Damn baby,” Shiro grunted as Keith kissed a path across his chest. 

Keith blushed hotly. He knew he was acting like a horny teenager, but he didn’t care. Once the heavy scent of Shiro’s arousal filled the air between them there was no calming down. “Sorry,” he panted. “I can’t help myself.”

The alpha laughed, his voice soft and husky. “I’ve been dreaming about you every night.”

“Let’s not waste anymore time then,” he insisted.

Shiro followed Keith to the bed, watching as the young man lowered himself scooted back across the sheets. He groaned at the sight. He was just imagining what it was going to be like to rip Keith’s boxers off--

“Oh shit,” Shiro grunted.

Keith blinked and sat up straight. “What’s the matter?”

He slapped his hand to his forehead. “I don’t have any lube.”

Keith’s eyebrows went up in surprise. Honestly, he hadn’t thought about that either. For a second the sex-hungry, animalistic part of his brain told him _forget the lube! just roll over and let Shiro fuck you into the mattress._ But the more restrained part of his brain was remembering just how big Shiro’s cock was and Keith knew damn well they could not have sex without lube.

“That’s okay,” Keith said as he knelt on the bed. “We don’t have to have sex tonight.”

Shiro looked at him. “You’re not mad?”

He laughed. “Shiro, why would I be mad?” Keith asked. “I’m here with you, that’s all I wanted all week. If you wanted to stop here and just go to sleep, I’d be happy. You’re all I want. Sex is just… a bonus.”

“Baby, I,” think I love you, “can’t believe I got so lucky.”

Keith grinned, it was bright and cute, and making his eyes sparkle. “Are you just going to stand there?”

“Hell no,” Shiro said and tackled Keith onto the bed. Laughter turned to soft sighs and low moans. Shiro shoved Keith’s boxers away and ran his hand up to legs and stopped between them, his hand touching and rubbing. Keith’s whine turned into a husky moan.

“Baby, if you keep making that noise I’m going to finish in my pants,” Shiro groaned.

“Then you need to get them off,” Keith panted. He wrapped his legs around Shiro and quickly flipped their positions. He straddled the startled man before winking and started to help Shiro with his pants. Once they were off, Keith paused, sitting between Shiro’s legs and let himself just _look._

Shiro blushed. “What are you looking at?”

“You,” Keith said, his voice a heavy sigh. Slowly he leaned up, trailing his fingers over the rough scars left from Sendak’s teeth. Leaning down, Keith pressed his lips against the gnarled skin. He kissed slowly up Shiro’s stomach and over his chest. He heard Shiro’s sharp intake of breath and then a low growl. Keith shivered at the sound. 

He continued to drag his lips across Shiro’s body. Across the scars of his amputation, to his collarbone and his chest, stopping to nibble the skin there. Keith had no idea what he was doing, but he knew that he liked what he was doing, and so did Shiro. He licked his tongue across his chest, tasting his sweat and his heady pheromones.

Keith closed his eyes as he inhaled. Warmth spread over him, filling him. Why was Shiro so different from other alpha wolves he’d met over the years? Yes, they weren’t all aggressive or murderers like Sendak, but he hadn’t met one that he had clicked with like Shiro. After getting over his initial fear and anxiety of being around the alpha wolf, Keith found that being with him was the closest thing he’d ever felt to being home.

Shiro’s hand rested on the nape of his neck. “Keith?”

“Hm?” he was kneeling up between Shiro’s legs and could feel his cock pressing against his abdomen. He reached for it.

“Come here,” he said. Keith slid up until he was sitting across Shiro’s stomach. Shiro ran his hand up Keith’s stomach and chest, fingers touching the cheap choker he was wearing. He laughed a little. “I can’t believe you picked this.”

Keith laughed softly. “Yeah, Pidge said the same thing.”

Shiro pulled him down for a kiss. Keith slid against his body until Shiro maneuvered him to the bed. They lay facing each other, legs tangled and bodies touching. Shiro slipped his hand between them, taking both their erections and slowly moved his hand. Keith whimpered and whined against his mouth, his breath coming in desperate pants.

He kissed down Keith’s slender neck, licking and biting it in a way that turned the young man to jelly. Keith held onto him, rolling his hips into Shiro’s hand. He draped one leg over him in order to limit the space between them. Shiro cursed.

“Mm,” Keith whined. “Shiro…”

“Fuck,” he grunted. Keith was desperately pressing against him, kissing at his neck and his chin, touching him in ways that set him on fire. From their last encounter he had suspected that Keith was a virgin, but the more they touched the more bold he grew, and Shiro wondered if he could handle Keith whenever he completely shed his shell. 

He kissed at Keith’s neck and bit hard. It tore the littlest yelp from Keith, but before Shiro could apologize--

“Do that again,” he gasped.

So he did, this time biting down on Keith’s shoulder. The young man let out a sharp moan and his hips thrust hard against Shiro. Shiro groaned as Keith came against him, his body shuddering and soft little cries escaping his lips. Shiro kissed him hard, pumping his hand up and down--

Shiro’s control snapped and he came with a long groan. The room was filled with the heavy scent of their seed and Keith’s sweet, alluring pheromones. Shiro buried his face in Keith’s neck, kissing the bite mark he’d left there.

Whoever thought that it was a good idea to abuse omegas and put them at the bottom of the pack was a fucking idiot, Shiro decided as he watched Keith’s face relax along with his body as he slumped onto the mattress, panting loudly.

They were both sticky and dirty, especially Keith who had cum smeared up his belly and chest. “Can you stand?” he asked after taking a moment to catch his breath.

Keith’s eyes fluttered opened. They were bright purple and satisfied. “Throwing me out?” he teased.

“No,” Shiro laughed. “Let’s go take a shower.”

Keith’s legs were wobbly, but he followed Shiro to the shower without falling over. He was flabbergasted that he could feel so warm and fulfilled when they hadn’t even had sex. 

The shower was big enough for both so they stepped in when the water was hot. Keith turned to the spray of water, washing clean his chest and body while Shiro stood behind him. Feeling spunky Keith purposely leaned back, pressing his ass against Shiro’s groin.

The man grunted. “You’re mean.”

“No, mean would be this…” Keith said as he _rubbed_ back against him. 

Shiro’s hand came down on Keith’s ass, a gentle slap, and then he squeezed. “Better be careful there.”

“Why?” Keith teased as he leaned back against the man and craned his head back. He leaned up and started to kiss at Shiro’s chin again. It was a sign of submission, kissing at the alpha’s chin and neck, and exposing his own while he did. He whined huskily. “Werewolves are pretty lusty. I never… understood that until now.”

“It’s because you’re a spicy little omega,” Shiro growled. “Sexiness and trouble all rolled into one.”

Keith laughed. He’d never heard of an omega being describe that way before. Fuck, he’d never heard himself be described that way before! He’d always been the weirdo. The quiet guy. The guy with anger issues. The omega who refused to submit to anyone. He turned around and stared up at Shiro. “You don’t treat me like other alphas have,” he said. “Why?”

Shiro touched Keith’s cheek. “Because they’re all fucking morons,” he said. “Had any of them a single brain cell they’d see you the way I do.”

He felt tears prickle in his eyes. He swallowed hard. “Oh...”

“You’re… my pack, Keith,” Shiro said as he swallowed thickly. “Even if the others were to leave, just having you at my side is enough. You’re… you’re the family I need. You’re everything that I need.”

Keith’s eyes widened. “That’s… that’s one hell of a confession,” he murmured.

Shiro grinned. “I know.” He ran his hand down Keith’s back to his ass, fondling it. He watched as the young man closed his eyes and tilted his head up, letting out a low sound of pleasure. Shiro continued to squeeze and touch, before sliding his fingers up and between his cheeks. Keith let out a surprised gasp, but instead of pulling away he leaned his body against Shiro’s, wrapping his arms around him.

He could feel Keith’s warm breath against his chest as he continued to move his fingers, pumping them in and out of Keith’s ass. It was was a tight fit even for his fingers, and Shiro had to resist the desperate urge he was feeling to just bend Keith over. An animalistic need was building and building inside of him. He had to make Keith his, had to mark him, had to keep him, had to protect him. 

Even if Keith had been the one doing the protecting. Shiro didn’t care. He’d rather they stand side-by-side as equals, then nothing at all. He leaned down, groaning in Keith’s ear. Keith answered him with a soft whine.

“Fuck,” Shiro groaned. If he got too carried away he might hurt him. So he pulled his fingers away, which caused Keith to grunt with annoyance. “Baby, you’re almost too much.”

Keith, a bit miffed because he wasn’t done with Shiro’s fingers, starred up at the alpha. He wanted to do it, right there in the shower, but he knew that Shiro would never agree to it. Not without the proper preparation. Instead he cupped Shiro’s heavy cock, which was hard again, and knelt to the bottom of the shower.

He may have let anxiety get the best of him last time he tried this, but not this time.

…

“Oh, phew,” Keith sighed in relief as he pulled the row of pictures from the pocket of his discarded jeans. They were a little wrinkled, but Keith thought that putting them under a heavy book would fix that. 

Keith, wearing his boxers and one of Shiro’s large sweatshirts, stood up and folded his clothes and placed them on the dresser, then headed out into the living room.

“Found them,” he said, holding up the pictures.

It was past ten the next morning. The two had gone to sleep well past late and let themselves sleep in. Once they woke, and after a bit of nuzzling and touching in bed, the two had finally left the bedroom and tried to decide what to eat for breakfast.

“Oh, good,” Shiro said from the kitchen as he put together two fat breakfast sandwiches; extra eggs, bacon and cheese. He didn’t have a lot in the refrigerator, so it was breakfast sandwiches, some chips, and fresh fruit. A bit of a odd combination for ten-in-the-morning, but neither werewolf cared. “I didn’t even get a chance to look at them last night. How did they turn out?”

Keith joined Shiro at the little breakfast nook near the open balcony doors. The morning was cool and fresh and there were birds singing above the steady hum of traffic. “I got doubles,” Keith said, “one for each of us.”

Shiro took the two stripes of small photos and laughed as he looked at them. The first set was the group, even Allura, all squeezed in that poor photo booth. They were smiling, laughing, and making weird faces. The second was just him and Keith, sitting next to each, smiling, kissing, and touching noses.

“Aww,” he said, “I’ll cherish these forever.”

He gave Shiro a long look. Keith opened his mouth, three words ready on the tip of his tongue, but he chickened out at the last moment. Instead he took a bite of his sandwich. He remembered the promise he made with Pidge, to go into every moment with Shiro like it was their last, but if he said those words, his entire world would change, maybe more than after his werewolf mauling. Because if Shiro didn’t say them back…

Keith didn’t think he could live through that.


	11. Omega

Keith did not like fifteen-hour days. At this moment he didn’t even care about the over-time money. All he wanted was to take a cold bath and then go to sleep. His muscles were sore, he was sweaty, and he’d had a crate dropped on his hand. To make it worse, he had to act like he actually hadn’t been hurt, because there was no way he could fire a report with HR and then see a doctor for the injury which would be healed before the appointment would happen.

So he had a black and purple hand and a couple broken fingers and he’d had to pretend that nothing was hurt then been forced to keep his gloves on for the rest of the night. Now though he was grumpy and in pain. He just wanted to get home.

It was late, well after ten, and the streets were empty. Keith pulled up to the stoplight just as it turned red. Knowing it would be a minute he pulled his cell phone from his pocket. He was just unlocking it when an impact on the driver’s side door spun the Jeep up onto the curb and lurched Keith across the seat, only held back by the seat belt, and knocked the cell phone out of his hands.

“Uhhhh…” Keith groaned in pain. His head had impacted the driver’s side window when he was being lurched around. He raised his head and turned to see who had hit him.

There was a yellow taxi cab just to his left, the hood was crumpled and smoking. The windshield was cracked and there was blood splattered from the inside. With a grunt Keith struggled out of the seatbelt. The driver’s door was completely trashed and Keith had to crawl across to the passenger side door. He pushed it open and unceremoniously fell from the vehicle.

Keith stumbled around the Jeep to the taxi. “Hey?” he called roughly. “Hey, you okay?”

With one hand pressed against the bleeding gash on his forehead, he used the other to jerk the door of the taxi open. The smell of blood and death hit him hard, and he stepped back--just in time to avoid the swipe of a clawed hand.

Keith stumbled back. With a bit of distance between him and the taxi he could see the driver, dead from a slashed throat, lying across the passenger seat, and in the driver’s seat…

It was one of Sendak’s wolves, but not the one from the parking garage. This man was tall and pale, with roughly cut blonde hair and yellow glowing eyes. When he stepped from the cab, a sneer pulled across his face, Keith backed up even more.

“What do you want?” he grunted. He need to get back to his Jeep and grab his phone. He needed to call--someone.

“What do you think?” the man taunted as he slowly stalked toward Keith. “Sendak said there was an extra two-grand in it for me if I fucked you up real good.”

“And why would Sendak send you to do that?” Keith growled.

The man shrugged and rolled his shoulders. Keith could see his skin twitching. “Who fucking cares? Now run, little bitch.”

Keith turned, eyes darting around, before he bolted down the nearest alley. Behind him he heard the crack of bones and ripping of flesh, with the heavy smell of wolf and blood and magic in the air. _Shit!_ He may have been able to hold his own against a man, but not a wolf. Not while he was human.

He stopped, looking for anything he could use to defend himself, when the low guttural growl of a wolf echoed through the alley. Keith turned, meeting yellow glowing eyes. The werewolf was light brown in color with a mostly pink nose and torn up and scarred ears.

“Shit, shit, shit,” he hissed as he backed up. He saw a pipe lying just a few feet away and dove for it.

The wolf hit him, knocking him through the air and into a pile of trash. Keith raised the pipe, which he had successfully grabbed in his uninjured hand, and swung madly at flashing teeth. The wolf snarled, spraying him with spit with blood, before it grabbed the pipe and jerked it away.

Keith kicked out, feet impacting the wolf’s face and jaws as he tried to keep it away from biting him. He reached around for anything, but his hand only came up with crumbled, wet newspaper and empty plastic cups.

The werewolf lunged around Keith’s flaying feet and grabbed him by the pant leg, teeth sinking into his thigh. Keith let out a cry, and grabbed the wolf by the fur on his head, trying desperately to pry the wolf off. When that didn’t work he started to claw at its eyes.

It worked, the wolf let him go and jumped back. It stood staring at him, lips curled up to reveal bloody teeth and tongue. 

Keith scooted back. He had to change, it was the only way he was going to get through this one piece. He didn’t think this wolf would kill him, but there were things worse than death. He pulled himself up and closed his eyes, focusing on the animal--

Teeth caught his arm and he was pulled from the corner. He didn’t fight back, he couldn’t let the wolf break his focus. Blood soaked through his arm, werewolf teeth tore through his flesh down to the bone. Keith felt it break--and he used that pain to leap into the change. A growl bubbled up through his mouth and ended in a scream.

With strength found through desperation Keith pulled away from the wolf just as the change ripped through his body. His clothing was shredded and fell away as his body jerked and broke and pulled itself together like a puzzle. Bloody wet his fur and made him gag as it clogged his throat. He rolled to his paws, shook off the remains of his clothing and whipped around.

Teeth snapped shut just shy of his face. The black wolf leaped back, putting ten feet between them. They weren’t on even ground, but Keith felt a lot better about his chances. Unfortunately none of his injuries had healed during his forced change, and his front leg had a cracked bone it in and broken bones in his toes. His head was throbbing, too. But he had to push all that pain away. He ignored the blood wetting the fur on his thigh and the scratches in his fur.

The light brown wolf charged him and Keith darted away from him. He was faster, smaller, and way more agile than the bulky beta wolf. When Keith could dash close enough he snapped his teeth at the other wolf’s fur, tearing out chunks of it, along with flesh and blood. The beta may have larger teeth, but Keith’s were sharper.

_You little fucker,_ the beta wolf growled when Keith bit his ankle, making him stumble.

Keith sneered at the other wolf, showing his teeth. He wasn’t in much better shape, he was bleeding and tore up, and he’d started to stumble and limp. This was going to come down to a head-on-head fight soon if Keith didn’t get away. Several times he’d made a run for the street but the larger wolf had leaped around him and blocked his way.

Keith’s ears twitched. The beta was growing slower, too. Keith just had to…

He had to get close enough to stop the beta wolf and then run off. Which meant… he was going to get hurt.

Keith continued to dash away from the betta before he pretended to fumble. The other wolf was on him in a second, teeth sinking into Keith’s shoulder and biting hard enough to crack bone. Keith resisted the urge to cry and fight, instead turning his body, injuring his shoulder more, and sank his teeth into the wolf’s neck.

Blood sprayed everywhere and the beta let him go in an instant, jerking back. Keith’s pulled back with a mouthful of blood, fur and flesh. The betta stumbled, gasping and snarling as blood dripped on the ground. Keith, now seriously limping and whining in pain, ran for it.

When he reached the mouth of the alley he saw that no one else was around. Had no one seriously come upon the crash? Or were people just driving by? Keith didn’t have time to be irate with the choices of humans, right now he had to change back and get away.

The passenger door of the Jeep was still open and Keith leaped into it, crying in pain as his body started to jerk and shrivel back to human flesh. He was naked and hurt, his skin dirty and bloody and covered in gaping wounds. He crawled across the seat and, with a shaking hand that barely worked, turned the key and started the Jeep.

The vehicle grumbled to life and Keith put it into drive and slammed his foot down on the pedal. The vehicle lurched off the curb and into the street and Keith, oblivious to the world around him, sped down the road towards home.

The drive was bumpy and Keith’s head was aching; his vision was blurry and he was worried he was going to pass out or throw up. He saw, after he accidently hit the curb on a corner, his cell phone slide out from under the passenger seat.

“Oh, thank god,” he gasped. He clumsily reached for it, nearly driving the Jeep into a lightpost. When his fingers closed around it he clumsily unlocked the phone, leaving bloody fingerprints on the screen, and called Hunk’s number.

His apartment came into view and Keith drove the Jeep through the parking up and stopped it in the middle of the lot. The phone rang and rang, and went to voicemail. Keith, slumping in the seat, whined in pain and dialed again.

It rang, and rang, and rang....

“Keith?” answered a sleepy Hunk.

“Hunk…” Keith gasped. “I’m… outside…”

He slumped down, the phone falling from his hand.

…

Shiro sat up when he saw Allura breeze gracefully through the diner door. Because of her late hours they had picked a twenty-four diner to meet at. Her hair was still tied up in a bun and she was wearing her nursing scrubs and smelled like antiseptic and medication. He waved and stood. “Allura,” he called.

“Ah!” she said with a big grin. “Let me just leave me purse here,” she said as she dumped the hobo bag in the booth Shiro had picked, “I need to change.”

Shiro sat back down, fidgeting. He had turned his phone on silent before arriving at the diner, because he didn’t want it to seem like he was distracted like he talked with the she-wolf. Now he picked it up, thinking about checking it, when the waitress stopped at the booth.

“Ready for menus?” she asked far too cheerfully for someone working the graveyard shift.

“Sure,” Shiro said. 

“I’ll be back in a little bit to take your orders.”

Allura appeared then, having changed into a warm pink hoodie and tight blue jeans. She had brushed out her hair and had spritzed herself with something that smelled like honey and apples. Mixed with her natural she-wolf scent, it was very effective. Shiro smiled at her.

“Ah! So much better,” she sighed as she sat down. “Tonight was rough.”

“Keith said you worked at a um, behavioral clinic?” Shiro asked.

“Mm-hm,” she answered as she picked up the menu. “I like helping those that need it the most. People with mental illness and behavior issues can often be neglected by society. And it gives me a chance to help individuals like Keith who wind up there because of problems humans can’t possibly comprehend.”

“Have you met a lot werewolves through your job?” Shiro asked.

“More than you’d imagine,” Allura said. “Are you ready to order? I’m starving.”

“Yeah,” he said and waved for the waitress. After the woman arrived back at their tables, she took Shiro’s simple order of black coffee with a side of bacon, and then Allura’s request for coffee, ham and eggs with a side of hashbrowns. 

After the waitress left with their order, Shiro asked the she-wolf, “I hope you don’t mind me badgering you with questions all the time.”

She laughed. “No, Shiro, I don’t mind at all. We’re pack, remember?”

He snorted. “Yes, all members of the Rebel Alliance.”

“Honestly, Shiro, I don’t mind,” Allura insisted. “What did you want to talk about it?”

“I um,” he started as he cleared his throat, “I’ve been spending a lot of time with Keith. And while it’s been the best times of my life Iife I… I’m a little worried.”

“About?”

“What if I hurt him?”

Allura smiled gently. She leaned her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her clasped hands. “You won’t.”

“But I’m very much aware how much stronger I am,” Shiro explained, “and when we’re together in bed I’m worried that… what if I…”

Allura tilted her head. “Have you had sex with him yet?”

Shiro blushed hotly. “No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I…” Shiro sighed. “I’m in love with him. Like… really hard in love. And I just… want to know if he feels the same before we move this relationship forward.”

“So tell him, Shiro,” Allura said with a little giggle. “Keith isn’t the kind of guy who likes it when you beat about the bush. Be straight with him. Tell him exactly what’s on your mind.”

“And if I scare him away?”

“Shiro. Keith looked into your wolf eyes and didn’t run away,” she reminded him. “He’s not going anywhere.”

“And I won’t… hurt him?” he asked, imaging Keith lying vulnerable beneath him.

“Omegas are tougher than they look,” she said. “You should know that by now. Look what Keith has accomplished with Sendak all on his own. From what I’ve heard, this rogue wolf is nothing to be messed with. But Keith has not only survived every attack from him, but he’s come out on top each time. He’s not a damsel in distress. Werewolves don’t work that way.”

Shiro nodded slowly. He flexed his left arm, the muscles bulging here. “I’ve been having nightmares lately, and they’re so real… and I’m afraid that… if… what if they come true?”

Allura nodded slowly. “Your first moon is coming. You’ll have nightmares up until the day. We all do.”

“You still have nightmares?” he asked.

“They aren’t so much nightmares anymore,” she explained, “I’ve come to accept that part of me. The pain, the blood, the urge to hunt. I accept it, and when the moon rises, I’ll give into those urges. So when I dream of blood they aren’t nightmares to me, just the urge by the wolf to hunt.”

“And that doesn’t bother you?” Shiro asked nervously.

“Not anymore,” Allura said. “In fact, I find the hunt rather thrilling.”

“What do you… kill?”

“Well, not humans obviously,” she said with a smirk. The conversation paused as the waitress returned with their food. “Basic prey animals. I don’t have to kill though. Just the thrill of the hunt can be enough. There is something you can do to help ebb the nightmares, Shiro.”

“What’s that?”

“Sleep with Keith,” she suggested. At his blush she grinned and said, “As in, sleeping. Wolves aren’t meant to be solitary.”

Shiro tilted his head. “But… you are, right?”

Allura stirred her coffee. “I’ve been alive for a long time, Shiro,” she said. “I’ve been in packs, and I’ve had lovers. But I’ve never… found where I’m supposed to be.”

“But you’re with us now,” Shiro reminded her with a grin. 

“Yes,” she said. “And I admit, I’ve very happy to be. It’s different from other packs, obviously.”

“Keith has said as much,” Shiro said. 

“How do you feel about being in the pack?” Allura asked.

Shiro shrugged as he sipped his coffee. “I like everyone. It’s nice. Like… a little family.”

“How does it feel… to not be the alpha?” Allura asked more specifically.

Shiro frowned. “I haven’t thought about it.”

“Hm,” she hummed as she cut into her food. 

“Is that okay?”

“Most alphas would absolutely insist on being in charge,” she explained. 

“I’ve never been much of a leader,” Shiro confessed. “I’ve… lead. In war. And I’ve been someone who follows. Both times it depended on the situation I was in that determined how comfortable I was or not. If I was confident in my commander then I was sure of the situation. If… I wasn’t…” Shiro hesitated. He motioned to his face. 

Allura nodded. “I understand,” she said. “You have a unique perspective.”

“I guess,” he said. “But… as long as Keith is with me… I feel okay. I feel safe.”

Allura smiled, her eyes twinkling. “I imagine he feels the same,” she said. “And, I must say Shiro, that feel you get from Keith, of feeling safe, is the same that all of us feel around you. You’re alpha aura is strong enough that even the humans, and the shapeshifter in our group will turn to you for safety and protection. Because you’re a natural protector, Shiro.”

“A champion,” he murmured, remembering Sendak’s words. “That’s what Sendak called me. Champion.”

“Are you ready to kill him, Shiro,” Allura asked seriously. “For your life. For Keith’s. For all of us?”

…

“Hunk! Did Shiro answer his phone?”

“No, it went straight to voicemail.”

Lance leaned over Keith, who was currently unconscious. “Fuck,” he bit out as he tried to decide where to start. A quick assessment told Lance that Keith had a broken right hand and arm, and the his shoulder was fucked up. There was a huge bite taken out of his left thigh. He had a massive bruise on the left side of his face and a cut on his head from the car accident. There were multiple bites and scratches and bruises. “What about Pidge?”

“No,” Hunk said, voice high and worried. He stood next to Lance, staring down at Keith. After receiving Keith’s phone call he’d ran outside to find him passed out in his crumpled up Jeep. After carrying him back to the apartment he’d gone across the hall and pounded on Pidge’s door until Lance answered. “What do we do?”

“Stabilize him,” Lance said as he went through the first-aid kit, which was depleted from the last time they patched someone up. He sighed and looked up at Hunk. “Okay, get me a bowl of warm water and a lot of towels. We need to start cleaning up all these cuts. Then I’ll use Pidge’s suture kit to deal with the big bites.” Lance knew that Keith would heal on his own, but some of the bites were huge and they were still bleeding.

“Okay,” Hunk gulped. Together they worked at cleaning Keith up and either bandaging or stitching up wounds. 

“I think this arm is broken, a lot,” Lance said after they had taken care of most of Keith’s injuries and covered him with a blanket. Keith’s face was pale and his breathing weak, but he had stopped bleeding and his heartbeat was steady. Lance ran his hands over Keith’s right arm, which was black and blue and had weird bulges pressing against the skin.

“What should we do?” Hunk asked.

Lance exhaled. “I don’t know how to doctor werewolves,” he grunted. “Maybe they should teach a class.”

“Okay but Lance, what do we do?”

“Werewolves heal fast,” Lance thought aloud, “so… I’m just going to… ugh, fuck.” He pinned Keith’s arm down before roughly shoving the bones back down into place. The young man on the floor flinched and cried out, which also woke him up.

“Shit! Keith!” Lance gasped as Keith tried to sit up. “Stay down!”

“Keith!” Hunk exclaimed as he put his hands on the man’s shoulders to hold him down. “Don’t move so much!”

A low, threatening growl sounded up from Keith’s chest. Lance leaned back in surprise but Hunk didn’t move. 

“Keith,” he said gently, “open your eyes. Can you hear me? Buddy?”

Slowly Keith’s purple eyes opened. The whites were black and the purple was glowing. He stared at Hunk, who hesitated only slightly before continuing.

“If you move around too much, you’ll open all your cuts,” Hunk explained in a low, gentle voice. “So stay down, okay?”

Keith stared at Hunk before blinking, and his eyes were back to normal. “H-Hunk?”

“Yeah,” he said with a tearful smile. “Yeah. You’re home and safe.”

Lance exhaled as Keith relaxed. He adjusted the blanket they were using to keep him warm and then stood up. There was blood everywhere and dirty bandages. “I’ll start to clean this up.”

There was a suddenly loud pounding at the door. “Oh!” Hunk said as he leaned off Keith, “Maybe that’s Shiro!”

“God I hope so,” Lance muttered as he went to the door. He was reaching for the door handle before he stopped.

“Lan--”

“Shh!” Lance hissed. He slowly leaned forward to look through the peephole. It was definitely not Shiro on the other side of the door. In fact, Lance would bet good money that it was the werewolf that had tried to kill Keith. The man was big and bulky, but more important, bloody and looked really pissed. Lance slowly stepped back and grabbed his phone. He turned to Hunk who was staring at him in confusion.

“Werewolf,” Lance hissed as he dialed 9-1-1.

“The cops?” Hunk whispered. He looked down at Keith, who had passed out again. “What can they do?”

“They can make him fucking leave,” Lance whispered back. He stepped back up to the door, peering out just as the werewolf tried the door handle. The entire door jerked and shook. “I-I’m on the phone with the police!” Lance shouted as he waited for someone to answer.

“Just give me what I want and I won’t hurt you,” snarled the man on the other side of the door. “Ranveig always keeps his word.”

“Did he just refer to himself in the third person?” Hunk asked worriedly from the floor.

“Fuck off, Old Yeller!” Lance snarled as he waited for the emergency operator to pick up. “Cops are coming!” 

Hunk sat on the floor, holding Keith’s hand in his own. “Did they even answer?”

Lance growled, hanging up after no one answered and then dialed Shiro again. “Come on Shiro…”

After a few minutes Hunk shifted. “Is he still out there?”

With a deep breath Lance stepped back up to the door. When he looked through the peephole--

“Yes,” he said with a gasp. The man was staring directly at Lance, his eyes black. “Shit, shit…”

The door rattled again and Hunk jumped to his feet. “What do we do?”

Shiro still didn’t answer, so he cursed and hung up. “I think we’re on our own.”

“Can we go out the fire escape?” Hunk asked.

Lance went to his bag and started to dig through it. He found his emergency mace and pulled it out. “I’m going to try something. It’ll probably just piss him off but…” Going to the door he made sure the chain was well in place before he unlocked the deadbolt. He opened the door a couple inches. “Can I help you?”

The man sneered at Lance. “You think that little chain will save you?”

“No, I think it’s just enough,” Lance said. He looked the man over quickly. Cuts, bruises, bitemarks, and a slit throat. He smirked and stood back and raised the mace. The werewolf jerked back but not fast enough. Lance hit him in the eyes and face, and then the open, gaping marks on his neck.

The man’s howl of pain filled the hallway and Lance slammed the door and turned the deadbolt. 

“Everyone is going to hear that!” Hunk shouted.

“Exactly!”

Lance watched through the peephole as the werewolf stomped up and down the hallway, yelling curses and scrubbing his hands over his eyes. It wasn’t long before the other tenants on the floor were looking out, shouting, calling the police and yelling threats at the man. Lance opened the door just a little and watched as the werewolf ran for the stairwell and disappeared.

Lance slammed the door and leaned back against it. “Oh my fucking god,” he gasped. 

“He’s gone?” Hunk asked hopefully.

“For now,” Lance said as he locked the door and then went to make sure all the windows were locked and then pulled all the curtains. He circled back to Hunk and Keith. “Okay let’s… get back to cleaning up and then move him to the bed.”

....

“Thanks for meeting with me, Allura,” Shiro said after they had paid the check and were standing outside together. Allura had taken a taxi to get to the diner. “Are you sure you don't want me to drive you? It’s pretty late.”

She waved her hand at him as she waited for her phone to reboot. She kept it turned off at work. “I live clear across the city and I’m sure there’s someone willing to Uber… Someone has been trying to get ahold of me.” She frowned.

Shiro pulled his phone from his pocket and jumped. “Lance… tried calling me a lot. And Hunk.” He had a dozen voicemails and quickly pulled it up.

“Me, as well,” Allura said. She listened to the first voicemail. “Oh, God, Shiro--”

“ _Keith--_ ” He started to run toward his car with Allura right behind them.

“Get in,” he said as he unlocked the car and jumped in the driver’s seat.

Shiro struggled to balance his phone on his shoulder as he started the car and ripped away from the curb. Shiro kept the phone to his ear, listening to each frantic voicemail. Keith was hurt. Keith was bleeding. There was a werewolf at the door. They needed help. Keith was still breathing, but badly hurt. The werewolf was gone, for now. They finally got ahold of Pidge and she was with them. Keith was still asleep. The werewolf hadn’t come back yet but Pidge had followed his scent around the building. His name was Ranveig.

“Careful, Shiro,” Allura warned when she saw Shiro’s eyes flicker colors. “You’ll crash.”

“Shit,” he said with a shaking breath. His heart was pounding, his body was shaking. “I just… It’s Keith…”

“I know, I heard the messages,” Allura said calmly, “But he’s alive, and he’s with friends. Calm down.”

“I am calm.”

“Your eyes are black and your teeth are sharp,” Allura pointed out.

Shiro frowned. He looked at his reflection and was taken aback by his black eyes and sure enough, he had fangs. He focused his eyes on the street in front of them. His phone had dropped down onto the seat between his thighs. 

“What if I changed now?” he asked. “Would that be bad?”

“Yes. You’re not ready for a full transformation, Shiro. You haven’t had a full moon yet. You need to reel in those alpha tendencies and calm down. Keith is fine,” Allura said in a steady voice. “Remember everything we talked about tonight.”

He bowed his head and tried to focus on something that would calm him. His mother’s voice. His father singing in the shower. The time his grandmother visited and they went to the park to feed the squirrels. Keith’s purple eyes. Keith lying asleep next to him, his black hair a mess and lips slightly parted. Keith sliding his naked body against his own...

Shiro’s shoulders relaxed and he took a deep breath. “Okay,” he said. “I’m okay.”

“Good,” Allura said, glancing at him. “It’s a long drive. I’m going to call them and see what’s going on.”

“Right, good idea…” he said. Shiro listened as Allura dialed a number and then a man answered before the first ring was done and his voice was a loud, shrill “WELL, WELL LOOK WHO CHECKED THEIR PHONE.”

…

When Allura and Shiro finally reached the apartment it was almost two in the morning. First they had to stop and move Keith’s Jeep, which had been left in the middle of the parking lot. It was crumpled and wrecked; the inside was smeared with blood. Shiro and Allura worked together to push it into a parking space and hoped that no one looked at it too closely.

“I can smell the werewolf that did this,” Allura said, hair bristling. 

“Is he still around here?” Shiro asked with a growl.

“No, it’s fading,” she said as she crossed the parking lot. “I’m going to circle the building, you go upstairs.”

“You sure?” Shiro asked even as every instinct was telling him to get upstairs to Keith.

Allura smiled at him. “I can take care of myself, Shiro. Go check on Keith and the others.”

Shiro nodded and headed up to the door. Pidge had given him her spare the day after Keith’s meltdown at Voltron, and he used it now to let himself into the building. He ran up the stairs, immediately noticing the heavy scent of werewolf. There was also blood on the steps and smeared on the wall. Shiro’s lips twitched into a grin. Keith may be an omega, but he didn’t take shit from anyone. Shiro felt pride and affection swell in his chest.

When he reached the apartment he could hear the other’s all inside talking. He slowly raised his hand to knock--

The door flew open and there stood Pidge, hands on her hips. “And where have you been?” she demanded.

“I’m sorry,” Shiro said quickly. “I was-- Allura can explain. Where is Keith?”

Lance appeared behind Pidge. “Where is Allura?”

“She’s downstairs following Renveig’s scent,” Shiro explained as he carefully made his way around Pidge, who looked like she wanted to bite him. But he didn’t have time to explain or apologize, after spotting Hunk and seeing that everyone was in one piece, he hurried down the hallway to the bedroom.

The apartment smelled like Keith’s blood and a heavy layer of bleach. He felt his stomach turn--

Quietly he pushed open the bedroom door and peered inside. The room was dark, the only light coming from the fairy lights that were hung in one corner around a tapestry. He took a deep breath and then walked up to the bed. Keith was asleep under a heap of blankets.

He approached the bed slowly, warily. He reached for the blanket and slowly pulled it down, just enough to reveal the extent of Keith’s wounds. He swallowed hard and started to shake. Anger rushed through him along with pain. He felt his teeth bite into his lips and something inside him broke--

“Sh-Shiro?” whispered a tired voice.

Shiro, on his knees, snapped his eyes open. He stared up at Keith, who was leaning up on his good arm. “K-Keith?”

Keith reached out with his injured arm and his broken fingers, brushing them against Shiro’s cheek. “Calm down,” he said, his voice weak. “Breathe.”

“I-I am…” he gasped. He leaned over on his hands, breathing heavily as Keith’s fingers brushed through his hair. This wasn’t right. Keith shouldn’t be comforting him! He came here to comfort Keith. He grunted, reeling from the sheer force of anger that had nearly burst out of him, forcing him to almost transform. Swallowing blood and bile, Shiro straightened up.

“Are you okay?” Shiro asked. He took Keith’s hand and gently kissed the bruises.

“I’m tired,” Keith answered. He laid back down, eyes closing. “Lay with me.”

Shiro didn’t have to be asked twice. He kicked off his shoes and climbed onto the bed, spooning Keith from behind. Keith wiggled back against him, aching for contact. Shiro pressed his lips to Keith’s ear. “I’m right here, baby. I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner…”

“Shh,” Keith sighed tiredly. “I’m… okay… Let’s just… sleep.”

But Shiro couldn’t sleep. After Keith had drifted off, he shifted them around until he was holding Keith against his chest, his arm around him. Keith’s face was bruised and cut up, his arm was battered and broken, and he had cuts and swollen bite marks over his body. Lance and Hunk had cleaned up the wounds and bandaged and stitched the ones that needed it. But Keith’s pale skin still reflected the beating he’d gone through.

Allura’s voice echoed in his head: _“Are you ready to kill him, Shiro. For your life. For Keith’s. For all of us?”_

Shiro pressed his face into Keith’s hair. “I’ll kill all of them.”

…

Keith smiled sleepily. Shiro was fast asleep in his arms, his mouth slightly parted as he quietly snored. It was too cute and Keith wished he had a camera. He pressed his lips to Shiro’s hair and stroked his fingers up and down his back.

He was just thinking of how he was going to get out of bed without waking Shiro when the man’s eyes opened.

“Mm,” Keith hummed, “Good morning.”

Shiro craned his head up. Somehow during the night he had shifted positions with Keith, and found himself draped across the younger man with his head resting on Keith’s naked chest and his arm around him. He frowned and realized his weight might be causing Keith pain and he carefully tried to extradite himself from the position. “I’m sorry--does that hurt?”

Keith snorted a little laugh. “No.”

He sat up anyway, carefully, and stared at Keith who was lounging back in the pillows. During the night he’d healed a lot, most of the bruises were gone and his fingers were healed. Keith smiled sleepily up at him and Shiro felt his heart catch in his throat. He stared at him, a million words and thoughts rushing through his brain, but all that came out was, “I love you.”

Keith blinked and his cheeks blushed. He didn’t answer right away, just stared up at the man hovering over him. 

“Is this because I almost died?” Keith finally asked nervously.

“No! No,” Shiro stammered. “I just… I just realized I should have said it sooner.”

“How much sooner?” Keith asked breathlessly.

Shiro blushed. “If I tell you, you’ll think I’m a weirdo.”

Keith laughed, which caused him pain, but he didn’t let it show. He reached up, touching his hand to Shiro’s cheek. “I already know you’re a weirdo,” he said warmly, “that’s why I love you, too.”

“God,” he gasped and leaned down to kiss him. He felt Keith take a sharp breath and pulled away. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Keith reassured him. “I’m still healing. Everything just aches.”

Shiro slowly ran his hand over Keith’s body. Over the bruises and the healing wounds. He leaned down and gently, pressed a kiss to every wound. Keith laughed softly beneath him. “What are you doing?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” he said as he pressed a kiss to Keith’s ribs. “Trying to help you feel better?”

“I do feel better,” Keith said as he watched Shiro as he moved around his body. “I guess you have the healing touch?”

Shiro snorted. “If only,” he said with a sigh. He looked up. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here to help you when Renveig showed up.”

Keith frowned quizzically. “What? _What?_ ” the second ‘what’ was said much more forcefully. “He--he was here?”

Shiro realized with a start that Keith didn’t know. “Oh--” he said. “Um--”

“Hunk? Is he okay?” Keith asked as he struggled to sit up.

“Lay back,” Shiro said as he tried to stop Keith without hurting him. “Hunk is fine. So is Lance.”

Keith’s eyes were bright with anger. “He followed me home?”

“Yeah but--he didn’t get into the apartment.”

“How did they stop him?”

“Uhm, I don’t know,” Shiro admitted. “When I got here I came straight in here with you and… didn’t bother to ask. Um. Why don’t you stay here? Stay here and heal a little more. I’ll go ask the others. And get you some breakfast?”

Keith’s eyes were angry, but he did as Shiro asked and slowly laid back. He winced in pain. “Fine,” he grunted.

Shiro promised to come right back and left Keith in bed. He found the rest of the pack in various positions around Keith’s small living room. Pidge was sitting on the coffee table with her tablet, Hunk and Lance were sharing the couch, and Allura was curled up in the old recliner. When Shiro stepped into the room they all looked up.

“How’s he doing?” Hunk asked.

“He’s, um, pretty pissed actually,” Shiro said, “I told him about Renveig showing up here.”

“Probably should have held off on that information.”

“Yeah, I figured that out Lance, thanks,” Shiro quipped. “He wants to know you managed to chase Renveig off.”

“Oh, Lance did that,” Hunk said proudly. “He used pepper spray!”

“On a werewolf?” Allura asked as she stretched. “And it worked?”

“Well,” Lance said, “I aimed for all his wounds. It looked like Keith slit his throat.”

Shiro winced, rubbing his neck. “Badass, Lance.”

He smiled brightly. “I know.”

“You’re lucky he didn’t break the door down and bite your head off,” Pidge said.

Lance glared at her. Then he pointed at each of them, “Hey, it’s not my fault that every supernatural person I know was too busy last night to answer their damn phones when a werewolf was trying to eat all of us. So don’t lecture me on the ways to chase off some psycho who wants to make me and Hunk his bitch and do god knows what to Keith. I did the only thing I could think of, other than jump out the window and run away.”

For a moment no one spoke, then Shiro, softly, “You’re right, Lance. I’m sorry I wasn’t here to help you. What you and Hunk did was very gutsy and I can’t thank you enough for keeping Keith safe.”

Pidge sighed dramatically. “Right, right. Sorry.”

“I apologize as well, Lance,” Allura added.

“Oh, Allura, don’t worry about it,” he said, looking at her lovingly. “You were busy. All is forgiven.”

Hunk kicked Lance before adding, “Don’t worry. If you guys are hungry I was going to make us some brunch.”

“You don’t have to, Hunk,” Shiro said.

He shrugged and hopped off the couch. “It’s my pleasure! Lance come help me.”

Lance groaned but allowed himself to be dragged into Keith’s too-small kitchen.


	12. Sweat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As always, you guys are simply the best for all your comments and kudos! And I wanted to let you know that you can follow me on Tumblr (link below.) I post mostly stupid crap, but I do share chapter previews and other Sheith fics I write and haven't shared on ao3. Oh, and yes, the rating for this fic has been changed from Mature to Explicit. These damn horny werewolves just won't be censored. xoxo

Shiro had text him eight times since midnight. Keith, after calling him, only to listen to Shiro, in a near-panic, describe to him the nightmare he had just had, didn’t hesitate to get out of bed, pull on a pair of sweatpants and a tank and head out the door with his keys and his phone in hand. Not wanting to wake Hunk, Keith decided to just text him later.

He drive in mostly quiet, only the sounds of his beaten up vehicle and the wind whistling through the broken windows to keep him company. Keith yawned loudly and blinked tiredly. He knew that Shiro should have just stayed the night with him. But he had insisted that everything was fine. Yeah, at six-in-the-morning when Keith called him before work, everything had been fine. A lot changed in twelve hours with a full moon looming on the horizon.

Keith couldn’t see the moon now, the towering buildings of the city blocked his view of the sky, but he knew it was there, he could feel it calling to him. Like Shiro, Keith had been dealing with his own nightmares. But he’d gone through three-years of nightmares. He woke up sweating, sometimes gasping, shook it off, and went back to sleep. If he couldn’t then he stayed up, guaranteeing a miserable day, but if he couldn't close his eyes without seeing the man he’d killed, then there was no chance of sleep.

When leaving work at ten he’d called Shiro, knowing the alpha would still be awake. Already he could hear the start of panic in his voice, because Shiro was starting to feel things. Things that he'd never experienced before. And all the excitement he had dreamed of when it came to his first moon was gone and replaced with the horror of the situation.

He was a monster. He was going to change into a giant wolf. There was a good possibility that he would murder people.

Keith had offered to drive straight over, but of course Shiro had been against the idea. ‘Go home and get some sleep,’ he’d said, ‘you have work in the morning. I’ll be okay. I’ll manage. I’ll get by. I’ll get to sleep.’ But it made Keith think about every lonely full moon he’d ever gone through, and he decided that no, he was not leaving Shiro alone to suffer. Werewolves were pack animals, they were meant to be together.

Something Keith had never understood until he’d met Shiro.

He parked as close as he could to Shiro’s building, his beaten up Jeep squeaking with annoyance as he slammed the breaks and locked it up. Then he jogged, barefoot to the building that was a lot nicer than his own, and stopped at the front doors. He dialed Shiro’s number and waited.

“Keith?” Shiro answered, his voice tired and shaky. Keith could hear the heavy fear in just one word.

“Yeah, I’m downstairs, let me up,” he said as he waited for the door to unlock.

“You’re--what?” Shiro repeated, his voice a bit more alert. “Where are you?”

“At your front door,” Keith repeated. “Let me up.”

A second later the door buzzed him in and Keith hung up the phone. He ran silently up through the stairwell and to Shiro’s apartment door. It opened before he could knock, putting him face-to-face with the alpha.

But in this moment Shiro did not look like an intimidating alpha wolf. He was pale and his skin was covered in a nervous sweat that was pungent, making Keith wrinkle his nose. Shiro’s hair was wet and plastered to his forehead and his dark eyes were somewhat wide and filled with anxiety. Keith felt his chest tighten.

“You look horrible,” he said as he stepped into the apartment.

“Wh-where are your shoes?” Shiro asked as he locked the door behind them.

“I didn’t need them,” he said as he left his keys and phone on the table as he headed for the bedroom. He could hear Shiro as he darted after him. “Come on, back to bed.”

Shiro frowned, running his hand through his hair. “I can’t,” he said shakily. “I can’t close my eyes again.”

“It’s okay, Shiro,” Keith said gently. It had been weeks since Renveig’s attack, and while Keith had healed physically without even a scar, but in his mind there were new scars. Nightmares plagued him every night that he didn’t spend with Shiro, and while Keith knew he should talk about it, he instead bottled it up and hid it the best he could. But sometimes he started to fall apart; sometimes in front of Pidge, or Hunk, and he’d stopped training with Allura. Keith _knew_ that he needed to confide in someone, he needed to heal. But he just pushed it deeper and deeper until he was numb.

Very mature, Keith knew it. But he still handled some things in his own toxic way.

“No, it’s not,” Shiro insisted, his voice a few octaves higher than normal.

Keith turned. He approached the larger man slowly before reaching out to take his hand. Shiro tried to pull it away, but Keith refused to let go. Instead he stepped into Shiro’s personal space and then lifted his hand to his mouth, kissing his palm.

“Keith,” Shiro choked out, “I keep dreaming… that I kill you--”

“You aren’t going to kill me,” Keith said softly. “It’s just a nightmare.”

“But it’s so real--!” Shiro insisted as he jerked out of Keith’s grasp. “I rip into your throat. I just… I kill you, Keith. I rip you apart and I-I can’t… deal with that. And tomorrow! Tomorrow is the full moon! I can already hear it-- can you hear it?”

“Yeah,” he said, just as soft. He closed his eyes for a second, listening to the vibrant hum of the moon. It called to him, sang through his veins. Deep inside him the monster stirred, sending rushes of adrenaline and desire. But seducing Shiro was not what the man needed right now. “Come here, please Shiro.”

Shiro, who was standing against the wall, stared at Keith with eyes that reflected the light back. “No.”

Keith sighed. He slowly stepped up to him, and when Shiro didn’t move away, he took his hand. Gently he lead him to the bed and pulled him down onto it. Shiro sat stiffly, staring at him, as if afraid he’d kill Keith right there.

Keith exhaled tiredly. “This is a part of our lives,” he explained as he knelt on the bed in front of him. “And I’ve been… having nightmares, too. In fact um, ever since Renveig’s attack. Only when I’m in your arms do I sleep peacefully.”

Shiro blinked at him, concern wiping away the fear that had been about to burst through him. He looked at Keith, eyes traveling over his body, up to his face, “Why didn’t you tell me? Is that why you’ve been pushing all of us away?”

“It’s what I do best,” Keith said with a humorless smile.

Shiro frowned sadly. He dropped his hand into his hand. “I’m terrified, Keith.”

“I know, Shiro,” Keith whispered as he pulled Shiro into a crushing hug, and when the man finally relaxed and hugged him back, he dragged them down to the bed. He wrapped Shiro up in his arm and legs, pressing his lips against his hair and rubbing his back. “I’m scared, too. But it’s going to be okay. You aren’t going to kill me tomorrow. You aren’t going to kill anyone.”

“How do you know that?” Shiro asked. He wrapped his arm around Keith and pressed his cheek against the young man’s chest. He inhaled deep, letting Keith’s sweet omega perfume waft over him, like a balm on a burn. He felt himself relax and grow sleepy. He stopped sweating, his heart slowed to a steady beat, and he wasn’t shaking anymore. Keith’s hands were rubbing up and down his back.

Keith felt Shiro calm. He buried his nose in the man’s hair. “Because I know everything. Haven’t you figured that out?”

Shiro snorted, his laughter muffled into Keith’s chest. “I believe you.”

“Let’s go to sleep,” Keith said. Like Shiro, he was growing suddenly heavy with exhaustion; lulled by the alpha’s heavy scent. 

Shiro mumbled something in reply, but his voice was heavy and slurred. Keith remained awake until he felt all the tension drain and the man started to quietly snore. Then Keith, without moving or releasing his tight grip on the other man, fell asleep as well.

…

“Keith? Hey… could you… Keith?”

Keith woke with a little start. He blinked tiredly and then slowly relaxed his limbs--which were still wrapped around Shiro like a koala. He blushed as he let the man go and flopped onto his back. “Sorry,” he yawned loudly.

Shiro sat up and stretched. He looked down at Keith, watching as his shirt rode up his stomach as he stretched. How could one sliver of skin be enough to turn him on? “I’m going to make coffee.”

Keith watched him go and stretched again, then twisted until his spine popped. He was thinking about burrowing back under the blankets, which smelled so heavily of the alpha wolf that Keith wanted to nest here and never leave, when Shiro returned to the bedroom with Keith’s phone in hand.

“You’re really late for work,” Shiro informed him.

Keith sat up and barked, “Fuuuuck.” He reached for the phone and turned off the alarm before seeing he had missed two calls from his supervisor. His brain scrambled to come up with an excuse as he called the number back. Dropping back onto the bed he stared at Shiro who was hovering over him. He had lost his shirt in the short moment he’d been gone gone and it was glorious. Keith wanted to run his tongue over every ab and then suck on his chest until--

“You better be dead,” answered a voice that was kinder than the words being used.

“Sorry, Ulaz,” Keith said with a flinch as he was pulled from his daydream. “Um. I had a family emergency last night.”

“You don’t have a family.”

 _Yeah, fuck you too, Ulaz._ “I have friends,” he ground out. “I’ll be in real soon. Sorry again.”

“Make it quick, Kogane. I don’t have time for your poor excuses.” The line went dead.

Keith wrinkled his nose. He was sure that if this wasn’t the first time he had ever been late, then he’d certainly be fired. Ulaz ran a tight shift and he had no time for slackers, or piss-poor excuses for missing work. Keith had admired that about the man, but he never wanted to be the one being told, in a dangerously calm and monotone voice, that he was fired. He stood up and looked at Shiro, who was trying not to look disappointed.

“Yeah, I have to go in,” he said with a frown. “I’ll get off early though.”

“No, it’s fine, go,” Shiro said with a weak smile. “Thanks for coming over last night. I was… really having a meltdown, huh?”

“Not your last,” Keith said with a supportive smile. He looked around before realizing he had no shoes or socks and was in essentially his pajamas. He groaned. “I need to hurry or I’ll be in even more trouble. Um, hey, come with me.”

“To work?” Shiro asked, startled.

“No, back to my place.”

“But you’re going to work,” Shiro said with a quizzical little frown.

“Yeah, and you shouldn’t be alone today. Hunk has the day off. Hang with him and Lance,” Keith said as he walked by Shiro to find his keys. He turned back and pretended to check the time on his invisible watch. “Hurry, I’m _really_ late.”

Shiro looked like he was going to argue but instead he did as Keith asked, and quickly dressed, grabbed his keys, wallet and phone, and followed Keith out the door to his beat-up Jeep. “Did you call your insurance company on this thing?” he asked as he wrinkled his nose at the damaged vehicle.

Keith laughed. “I had liability-only and it’s not worth a penny,” he said as the Jeep roared to life. He checked his mirrors before speeding into traffic. Unfortunately the morning rush was hell and so, at a stop light, he text Hunk and asked him to have his work boots and socks ready at the door. Clothing didn’t matter, he wore what the company provided. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Keith saw Shiro shifting around in the seat. “Are you starting to feel itchy?” he asked.

Shiro frowned. “Yeah,” he said. “It feels like I was injected with liquid anxiety and restless leg syndrome.”

Keith felt it too. Last month he had the day of the moon off. He’d had breakfast with Pidge, went for a run, ran into Sendak and Shiro--and then that night his life changed forever. But not just his life, all their lives had been directly affected by Sendak’s horrendous attack on Shiro. Looking back, he’d known that Shiro’s life would never be the same, but he had had no idea how much it would change for all of them.

All of them. The Rebel Alliance. His pack of misfits. 

“Keith?” Shiro asked worriedly.

“Hm?” he asked. “Sorry, I spaced off. What did you ask?”

“I asked if it was normal,” Shiro said again.

“The squirmy feeling? Yeah. Your body's getting ready for tonight.” He glanced at Shiro who was pale again and staring down at his feet. “Make sure you eat a lot. I know you probably don’t want to, but do it. I’d suggest going for a run, too. I’m sure the others would go with you. I think… you’ll feel better if you let them keep you company.”

“Is it safe for me to be around them?” Shiro asked worriedly.

Keith glanced at him as they pulled into the parking lot of home. “You won’t hurt them, Shiro.”

“How can you possibly know that?”

“Because I know you,” Keith said as he parked the Jeep haphazardly. He unbuckled his seatbelt and turned toward him and, before Shiro could argue, pressed their lips together in a deep, wet kiss. He clapped his hands on Shiro’s cheeks, holding their faces together. Slowly Shiro kissed him back; desperate and wet. Keith groaned, hands going to curl into Shiro’s hair. Shiro was close to dragging Keith across the seat when he pulled away with a gasp. They stared at each other.

“I love you,” Keith said, enunciating each word and not breaking eye contact, “You are a good man, Takashi Shirogane. And you won’t hurt anyone in that apartment. But if you want to kill Lance I won’t stop you.”

Shiro suddenly laughed. “Keith!” he scolded. But it helps lighten the pressure on his shoulders. The kiss had done even more for him, and he almost asked Keith to skip work He felt like they should be together all day together, naked and in bed, sweaty and gasping, until the moon rose. Until… Until...

Keith touched Shiro’s face, which had paled again, and kissed his cheek. “You’ll be okay, I promise. Now get out of my Jeep.” Hunk was hurrying out the door carrying Keith’s work boots and nametag. “Hunk, you’re my hero.”

“Maybe the next time you leave for a quickie in the middle of the night, plan ahead a little better?” Hunk suggested with a hearty grin. Then he glanced at Shiro, who stepped out of the Jeep, and back to Keith. He frowned in confusion. “Huh?”

“Keep him company,” Keith said as he pulled on socks and his work boots. “I’ll call later. Thanks!”

Shiro stood in the street awkwardly as Keith sped out of the parking lot into traffic. He felt like a toddler being left at daycare for the first day. He looked at Hunk, who tilted his head and blinked at him. 

“You okay?” Hunk asked. 

Shiro tilted his head to the sky as he thought about his answer. With Keith gone the anxiety was rushing back through his limbs and making his heart pound. He closed his eyes and all he saw was blood. He pressed his hand to his forehead, shoving his pale bangs out of his face. “I don’t know.”

Hunk smiled softly at the man. It was scary, to see Shiro acting this way. “Well, come on,” Hunk said as he started back to the doors. “I was just watching cartoons and waiting for Lance to come over. He had the late shift. Maybe we can do something?”

Shiro followed him. “Keith said something about running, or going to the gym.”

“We can do that,” Hunk agreed easily. “Though I’m going to have to have Lance stand between us. I don’t think my ego can handle seeing you flexing at the gym.”

…

Keith knew that leaving work early after showing up late was going to be like finding an ice cube in hell, but Ulaz, while he was strict and quite the drill sergeant, could sometimes be reasoned with. Or that’s what Keith had heard from other employees. He just hoped he could catch the man in a good mood.

Unfortunately, Ulaz had zero facial expressions so judging his mood was near impossible.

It was just after five in the afternoon when Keith, on his second fifteen minute break, knocked at the office door.

“Come in,” called an even, intimidating voice.

Keith slowly stepped into the office. The AC united in the window hummed loudly, pumping the small office with blissfully cool air. Keith took a second to enjoy the feel of cold air on his sweaty skin. “Sir, can I--”

“You want to leave early,” Ulaz interrupted, not looking up from his paperwork.

Keith bit the inside of his cheek. “If I could, sir.”

“Family emergency?” he asked, voice lightly mocking.

Keith wrinkled his nose. “That was--”

“A lie.”

“It was kind of a lie,” Keith scrambled. “But… I just--”

“It’s the full moon tonight,” the tall black man said as he looked up, slowly removing his bifocals. “Correct?”

Keith’s eyes widened. “Excuse me, sir?”

Ulaz rolled his eyes. “You werewolves, thinking you’re always so careful about the moon. I swear I’m going to put a lycan option on work forms so I know when you’re all going to be calling in sick or leaving work early.”

Keith almost swallowed his tongue. For a second he just stared at the man in front of him. Ulaz was not a werewolf. He didn’t smell like anything other than human. And as far as Keith knew, he was the only werewolf in the warehouse, it’s why he decided to work here. He frowned, looking around for what, he didn’t know. He was just flabbergasted.

“Well?” Ulaz asked, staring up at him.

“I…” he gulped. “I mean… you’re… not wrong…”

Ulaz’s normal impassive expression softened just enough for Keith to see it. “Go home, Keith. Don’t be late for your next shift.”

“But, sir, how--”

“Go home,” Ulaz said as he put his glasses back on and turned back to his bookwork, “before I change my mind.”

Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, Keith left the office. He punched out, changed his clothing, and headed out into the glaringly bright sun to his pitiful vehicle. As he walked he checked his phone and saw Allura had text him back with directions to a secluded area that Keith planned on taking Shiro out to for his first change; not that Keith didn’t trust Shiro to not kill him or the pack.

Other people, on the other hand. 

**Allura 4:45pm: Are you sure you don’t want me to come with?**

**Keith 5:10pm: I’m sure. I think it’ll be easier with just me. If all goes well, maybe next month.**

He headed home, brain a whirlwind of emotions. How did Ulaz know about werewolves? How long had his boss known _he_ was a werewolf? Were there others in the building that Keith just didn’t know about? The warehouse company lined the docks and dealt with traffic from the ocean and from street. And the company was spread across the city. It was possible that other werewolves worked in other branches.

Keith rubbed his head. He didn’t have time for this. He needed to get home, shower, eat, grab Shiro and start driving. It wasn’t quite what he’d fantasized up until this day. He’d much rather get sweaty and sticky with Shiro; they hadn’t been intimate since Renveig’s attack and Keith was starting to ache. It wasn’t so much having wet dreams every night and jerking off in the shower, it was deeper than that, it was… pain. Being away from Shiro physically hurt.

In fact, last night had been the best night’s sleep he’d had in days. Keith knew that all his problems were on his shoulders, that he chose to distance himself from everyone, and that he chose to lock himself away, even if it hurt, But, the more it hurt, the more he pulled away. He realized now how much of a mistake that had been. 

_Yeah. Therapy, I should look into that. Maybe Allura knows someone who specializes in werewolves,_ Keith thought as he sped through the parking lot of home and rocked the Jeep into its usual spot. It creaked and groaned in protest and he patted the vehicle’s dash. “Sorry.”

He jogged up to his apartment. Before opening the door he paused. He could hear voices and smell the sharp spices from Hunk’s cooking mixed with Shiro’s heady scent. Finally Keith opened the door and was surprised to find that it was just Hunk and Shiro. Hunk was on the sofa with his laptop and Shiro was standing in front of the windows, eyes on Keith, as if he’d known he was coming. Keith slid to a stop, hand gripping the door handle until his knuckles were white.

“Hey,” Keith said nervously, staring at him. Shiro’s demeanor had changed dramatically since the morning. He was no longer pale and nervous and covered in terrified sweats, now he was almost glowing. His dark eyes swept over Keith and he took a step forward, before stopping himself. Keith swallowed hard before stepping inside the closing the door. “What’s going on?”

“Not a whole lot,” Hunk said from the couch. “There’s food in the microwave for you.”

“After I shower,” he said. He dared to glance at Shiro, who hadn’t spoken a word and had only stared at him with a smouldering intensity. Keith stumbled under that gaze before he quickly headed into the bathroom. Once he’d showered and changed into easily removable sweatpants and a light t-shirt. After taking a couple deep breaths, because Shiro’s scent had him spinning, he headed back to the living room.

He frowned as his eyes swept the apartment. “Where’s Shiro?”

“He went out for a jog,” Hunk said as Keith walked by.

“How was he today?” Keith asked. In the microwave there was a plate piled with a large steak, baked potato with all the fixings, green beans and a couple shrimp kabobs. He grabbed a bottle of water and sat in his old, overstuffed recliner.

“Uh, well, it’s hard to say,” Hunk said as he paused whatever game he was playing. “When you left he was kind of um, off? Like nervous? It was a little weird. After breakfast though we all headed out to run some errands. He started to loosen up and then he got real anxious again. So Lance and I took him to the gym and we worked out did lots of running but… I don’t know, Keith. He just seems off. Just before you got home he got real quiet and started doing situps and stuff.”

Keith sighed as he cut into his meal. “As soon as I’m done I’m going to grab him and we’re going out into the county.”

Hunk frowned. “Not over to the park?”

“Not for his first change,” Keith explained. “There are… too many people around.”

Hunk swallowed hard. “Do you think he’d hurt someone?” he whispered even though Shiro wasn’t around.

“I wish I could tell you no,” Keith said quietly. “Will you be okay?”

“Yeah,” Hunk said. “Pidge invited Matt and Rolo over. So we’re all going to hang out in her place and play games.”

“Two cougars and a harpy eagle,” Keith summarized, “you should be okay.”

After eating, Keith grabbed his keys and his phone and went out to find Shiro. It was easy to track the alpha, his pheromones were stronger than ever, painting a path straight to him. He was deep in the park, away from the joggers and a group of school children playing soccer. Keith found him standing among the trees, staring at the blue sky.

Keith inhaled sharply. Goosebumps spread across his skin and he felt heat starting to pool in his stomach. He stepped back, momentarily overwhelmed. Shiro’s potent scent, the way his body moved, the shine of sweat in the sun. Shiro was a feast for the eyes and the nose, and Keith realized he was going to have to keep himself together. He wished he’d put on some of Hunk’s aftershave, it smelled horrible and burned his nose. At least then he wouldn’t be wondering how fast he could get into Shiro’s pants.

Keith closed his eyes and gathered himself. “Shiro? We have to get going.”

Shiro had been staring at Keith from the moment he’d stepped from the trees. His eyes dilated. “You smell,” he rumbled.

Keith swallowed hard. “So do you.”

Shiro stalked forward slowly, eyes raking over the smaller man. He drank in his deep purple eyes, his soft black hair, the color of his skin. Keith smelled both sweet and alluring, but despite the shower, he smelled also like Shiro. But not enough. Shiro frowned. Keith should smell more like him, it should be undeniable who’s mate Keith was. He wanted to press Keith into a tree, wanted to fuck him here, he wanted to listen to his sobs. He growled, low in his chest--

“Shiro,” Keith said thickly. “Come on. We have to go.”

He frowned and momentarily his mind cleared. “We aren’t staying here?”

“No. We’re going somewhere where we won’t hurt anyone,” Keith said. He saw the shock on Shiro’s face, but it was the truth. “Allura knows of an abandoned farm outside the city, an acreage a friend a owns. We’ll be completely alone out there.”

Shiro followed after Keith as he walked away. “That’s smart,” Shiro agreed as he trailed Keith’s scent. 

The drive into the country was quiet. Keith only turned the radio on to interrupt the silence between them. Even with the windows down he was still overwhelmed by Shiro’s heavy scent. It was distracting and arousing. But as they drove, and the sky started to darken, a change happened with Shiro. His scent was no longer that of a powerhouse alpha, but of a frightened man. Keith could feel the ache within himself, but for Shiro, it was nothing but pain.

“I think we’re here,” Keith said finally as he pulled down a long dirt dirt. He glanced at Shiro, who had been quiet. He smelled of nausea and his nose had been bleeding for the last hour. When Keith looked closely he could see Shiro’s skin twitch in anticipation.

He turned his attention ahead of him as he parked in the thick grass. The farm had been abandoned for years, the house and buildings had fallen into disarray and weeds and trees had overgrown the land. Beyond the barn was a large open field surrounded by a crumbling wooden fence and rusted old paddocks for racehorses. Keith parked the Jeep and quickly jumped out. He heard the passenger door creak open and a loud thud as Shiro fell out of the seat.

“Shit,” he muttered as he stood over Shiro. His skin was sweating and twitching. When Shiro looked up his eyes were black and his lips bleeding from his sharpening teeth. “Shiro, you need to strip, quick, or it’ll make the change worse.” He reached down and grabbed the man’s shirt and started tug it off.

“I got it,” Shiro growled as pain washed over him. It was similar to the pain he’d felt after hearing that Keith and the pack had been attacked. He could feel his bones start to break and his organs were inflamed and--things were moving inside him. He looked down in horror at his stomach and chest, watching as the skin darkened and hair started to grow hair. He lurched forward, vomiting chunks of food and blood.

Keith jumped away from him. There was nothing he could do to help Shiro now, other than put distance between them, so he went to the other side of the Jeep and quickly stripped out of his clothing. Like Shiro, his body was also starting to change, but not in the same gut-punching way. Shiro’s change was violent and like an atomic bomb, Keith was more in control of his. 

But when Shiro’s scent filled the air, pure terror mixed with blood, and his screams echoed into the night, Keith almost went back to him. What could he possibly do? Touching him would cause him pain, and he wouldn’t hear Keith over his screams. So he remained where he was, standing naked and staring into the sky with tears on his face.

With a snap his own transformation began. He dropped to the ground as his legs broke and the bones and muscles rotated under the skin. His skin broke open before healing. Keith gagged and closed his eyes. He focused on the wolf inside him. Instead of waiting for the moon to pull it out, instead of letting the change occur on its own and continue to rip through him, Keith took Allura’s advice and training into mind. He called to the animal inside him, spoke to it, and slowly the pain ebbed away.

Keith groaned as the wolf became him. Blood dripped from his mouth but the pain was significantly dulled. The wolf pushed its way through him, and Keith willingly surrendered to it. When pain blossomed from broken bones and shifting organs Keith accepted it. He listened to the call of the moon, vibrating through the marrow of bones, rushing through the pumping of his heart. And everything easily fell into place.

When the ringing cleared from his wolf ears Keith stood up and shook out his fur coat. He was just flipping his tail and testing his his legs, padding around the Jeep, when a deep growl rumbled from just behind him.


	13. Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I hadn't planned on posting two chapters in the same weekend, but this is perhaps the most important chapter I've written so far, and I keep going back into it and editing it and rewriting it, and every time I do this, I have to edit the following chapters that I've already finished. This is mostly for my sanity. Love you guys! xoxo

Keith stood staring at the wolf Shiro had become. He was nearly twice Keith’s size and was covered in dark grey fur, with a white patch on his chest. The wolf was heavy with muscle, obvious even under the thick fur. His ears were long and currently flipped back, and his eyes were closed. The wolf’s muzzle was longer and pulled into a terrible snarl, his large white teeth shining with spit in the moonlight. Hackles raised, the alpha’s body tensed, and behind him his tail lashed.

The smaller black omega wolf flipped his ears back in surprised and tucked his tail between his legs. Backing up quickly, Keith’s heart started to hammer and adrenaline started to pump through his veins. He needed to put distance between them. If Shiro lunged, Keith needed to be able to leap away and then run. Each step was painfully slow. So far the wolf hadn’t opened his eyes, but by the way he was starting to snarl…

Keith’s back paw landed on a stick. _Snap!_

The alpha’s eyes popped open and were immediately locked onto Keith. Like when he was human, Shiro’s eyes were dark, but in the moonlight they were nearly glowing. The alpha’s head tilted and he swiped his tongue across his nose.

_My god,_ Keith whined. Panic started to build up inside him. Even on three legs Shiro was a monster. His head was big and his muzzle filled with teeth that could easily rip any living being to pieces. When the alpha shifted unsteadily, Keith could see muscles ripple beneath his fur.

_I should be able to get away,_ Keith thought to himself as he watched the alpha sway, off-balance. _He can’t chase me missing a front leg. Not yet anyway._ He huffed and whined, before showing his teeth.

The alpha growled, the sound rumbling around them and echoing through the deserted buildings. Keith lashed his tail and growled back, hackles up and paws planted firmly in the grass. He showed his teeth and snapped a warning.

Then the alpha stepped forward and landed right on his face. Keith jumped back in surprise, ears flicking uncertainty, eyes wide as he watched the larger wolf struggle to sit up. He seemed confused, and looked at his missing front leg. Keith took the opportunity to get close, keeping his body low to the ground and sniffed at the the other wolf’s fur.

Yeah, it was definitely Shiro. But was Shiro in there? Keith thought about trying to talk to him, but would that just freak him out even more? And if he wasn’t in control, it might set the wolf off. Instead he circled the alpha as he struggled to his feet. 

Standing, the alpha’s eyes locked back onto Keith. With ears trained on Keith, the wolf stepped forward.

The omega leaped back, body close to the ground, teeth bared.

The heavy grey wolf froze, staring at the small wolf in front of him. Large ears squared in confusion and for a moment, his muzzle wrinkled, but he didn’t growl. He took another step, and this time the omega snapped at him, spit spraying. The large wolf limped back and growled in return.

Keith shuffled back, crouching behind one of the tires of the Jeep, and watched as the alpha slowly limped after him, nose to the ground, following his scent. He watched as the grey wolf raised his head to the Jeep and sniffed it. Then he was sniffing at the clothing Shiro had stripped out of, and the blood that was staining the ground. Keith’s eyes followed the wolf as it circled the vehicle to Keith’s clothing, lying in one pile on the ground along with his shoes.

The alpha’s head snapped up, eyes on Keith as he hid. With a flick of his tail the alpha approached the omega, who backed up through the grass and into the moonlight. The alpha licked his tongue across his lips and huffed. He continued to approach until the omega let out a threatening snarl.

Keith, shaking, knew he should run, but he couldn’t bring himself to abandon Shiro. Instead he stood his ground, hair standing on end, teeth showing, and a warning growl rumbling in his chest. 

This time the alpha stopped in place, eyes locked onto Keith. He seemed to give himself a shake and looked around, before very slowly lowering itself to the ground. The alpha’s tail tucked up between his legs and he rolled over.

Shock cascaded through Keith and he stopped growling and straightened up. Astounded, he stared as the largest alpha he’d ever seen completely submitted himself, rolling onto his back and exposing his throat and his belly. It had to be a trap. It wasn’t right. What was going on? With a frown the black wolf prowled close to the alpha, sniffing for injury. What was Shiro doing? Was Shiro in there? Did he know what this meant?

Keith huffed and showed his teeth when the alpha tried to reach him with his tongue. He stepped back.

_Shiro?_ he finally asked, voice quiet.

The alpha jerked in surprise and struggled to his legs, trembling. His large ears perked and his tail tucked up between his legs. _K-Keith?_

_You can hear me?_ he asked, startled

_What is this?!_ Shiro asked as he yelped. He flicked his ears and looked around. _How is this possible?_

_It’s how we talk…_ Keith explained. Slowly he stepped toward Shiro. When the alpha leaned toward him, he stepped back. He watched Shiro watch him, and finally the alpha froze in place. Keith approached him again, nosing at him, sniffing, body stiff and ready to leap away. When Shiro pressed his nose against Keith’s neck he growled and stopped.

_You’re scared of me…_ Shiro said in a sharp, broken voice. _I can smell it..._

Keith’s ears squared and he whined. _No--_

_Yes, you are!_ Shiro argued as he stumbled away from the small wolf. _I’m--really a monster, aren’t I?_

The black wolf whined and followed the larger wolf. He didn’t know what to say. How did he explain it? _I am, but I’m not,_ he started, _I have to be careful… but I didn’t… think you’d handle this so well._ Truthfully he had been expecting the worst. He had expected Shiro to run off to kill. He had expected Shiro to try to kill him. He had expected a great many things, but not one of them was that he would be standing next to a perfectly conscious Shiro.

The alpha huffed and dug his thick claws into the grass beneath his paws. _Huh? How do you mean?_

_You’re… you’re in control, Shiro,_ he reminded him. _How do you feel?_

_Walking is a bitch,_ he growled. _And how does this tail work?_

Keith slowly sank back onto his haunches because he felt like fainting. This was impossible. It simply wasn’t… possible! How could Shiro be so in control? How could…

He almost leaped to his feet and ran away when Shiro suddenly appeared at his side. A surprised growl sounded from him, but the alpha didn’t move away. Swallowing his fear he remained completely still as the alpha walked around him. Shiro poked at him with his nose, smelled his fur, licked at his ears, touched his neck and his chest with his muzzle. Keith’s heart started to pound and the urge to run away built and built--

Shiro sat next to him and flopped over, knocking Keith to the grass. Keith yelped and rolled over, glaring at the alpha. 

_What was that for?_ he grumbled as he got to his feet and shook out his fur.

_Sorry._

There was something in Shiro’s voice… no, he wasn’t sorry, he thought it was funny! Keith flattened his ears and glared at the much larger wolf. _You did it on purpose. You’re--you’re--playing with me?_

The alpha shrugged. _I wanted to touch you. And I want you to relax. I just want…_ He sank to the ground, submitting to Keith again. He tucked his tail up between his legs and whined. 

Keith stood staring at the wolf before he finally pushed at Shiro with his head. _Get up, idiot._

The alpha rolled to his feet after a little stumble. Then he was moving around in the grass, learning to walk on three legs. He sniffed at the grass and the house, then turning his head to the moon, flipping up his ears. Shiro looked around, turning back to Keith who was watching him from a distance. He tilted his head, then threw his head back and howled.

Electricity ran through Keith and for a second he thought he’d been struck by lightning. He watched as Shiro sang, his howl low and deep and perfect, the sound cutting through the night and echoing through the country. He stared, hair on end and ears forward. Then slowly he threw his head back and answered. 

Keith couldn’t remember the last he’d howled. In the city he was always quiet, afraid of the attention he’d draw to himself. Werewolf howls traveled far and wide, and in the city, the sound echoed through alleys and into sewers. It would have been like turning on a big neon light over his head. But out here, in the county, with Shiro’s baritone howl leading the way, Keith couldn’t help but softly answer.

A wet nose pressed against his neck and Keith’s howl ended in a yelp. He bit at Shiro, fur flying, before leaping away. He stared at larger wolf, who was wagging his tail and looking at him with--the puppy dog eyes. There was a bloody nip on his shoulder his teeth. He felt his heart clench in his chest when Shiro lowered his head, staring at him and then whined.

_I’m sorry, Shiro,_ Keith sighed. _You’re so big and intimidating._

_I know. It’s not like you’ve had the best of luck around other wolves,_ Shiro answered. As the minutes passed he felt more and more comfortable in his wolf fur. Walking was still difficult, he had to think about every step, but he was starting to really feel the world around him, especially Keith. He watched as the little omega slinked around him. 

Shiro could see now how different Keith truly was from himself. He was surprisingly small and limber. His legs were longer and stronger, and he now understood how Keith could get away from and defend himself from larger wolves. He didn’t think, even if with all his legs, that he could catch Keith if the wolf ran off. And his teeth were insanely sharp. 

He smiled. _You’re amazing,_ he praised as he watched the omega. He sat down, hoping it would help Keith relax.

Keith’s ears flicked. _Huh?_ He could taste Shiro’s blood on his tongue and that didn’t sit right with him. He whined.

Shiro shrugged. He waited as Keith approached again, only this time he was lick at the cut on his shoulder. Slowly he lowered his head, sniffing at Keith’s neck. He felt the omega stiffen and Shiro paused, until Keith relaxed he started again, sniffing at his fur. He shuddered. Keith smelled so good. 

Keith stepped back. He looked around and then flipped his tail. Shiro was just sitting there, staring at him, ears and eyes all pointed at Keith. He huffed and finally stretched. He wasn’t completely relaxed yet, but he was feeling better about being around the large wolf. He shrugged. _Let’s go exploring._

Shiro stood quickly. _I’d love that!_ He could smell the world around him and wanted to see and smell and experience more of it in this body. He stretched carefully and then limped up to Keith, who for once, did not back up or bare his teeth.

_Baby steps,_ Shiro told himself as he wagged his tail happily. 

Keith lead the way. They explored around the house and the barns, creeping into the abandoned buildings and exploring inside and out. Shiro spotted a rabbit and went after it until it out-maneuvered him and darted through a hole in the side of a faded, crumbling red barn. The alpha growled and huffed, shaking out his fur as he paced, trying to figure out how to get the rabbit.

_There are lots of others to chase,_ Keith said with a laugh. _Come on._

Over the course of the night two wolves prowled the countryside. They left the farm behind, venturing under and over fences until they were as far as Keith’s been from the city since moving to it. Out here the world was wild. The trees were tall and filled with little frantic heartbeats, the ferns and brush and long grasses were cover for small wildlife and deer. And above them the sky was clear and bright and filled with stars and moonlight.

…

_How am I possibly going to defeat Sendak if I can’t even chase down a rabbit?_ Shiro asked with a low, annoyed growl.

Keith took a deep breath. After they two had prowled the fields for hours, they had circled back to the abandoned house and the Jeep. Now they were waiting for the moon to set and the sun to break the horizon, which would snap them back to their human skins. 

He honestly didn’t have an answer for Shiro. If they had more time Shiro could learn to maneuver better on three legs. If Shiro could change on his own he could practice in the park across from Keith’s apartment. With more time they could have found a way to get him an artificial leg. But there was absolutely no time. The sun would rise, and Shiro would be in his human skin for a month until it rose again. And once that happened.

Once that happened.

_You’re doing fine so far,_ he finally answered. 

Shiro’s ears flicked back. He looked at Keith, who had been unbelievably patient with him all night. After Keith had seemed to overcome his initial fear of Shiro, he’s started to teach him things. How to run, jump, control his tail; they had hunted rabbits and larger game and ran through streams and drank water that was reflecting the moon above them.

And as wonderful and magical all that had been, and at times really goddamn romantic, it wouldn’t help him kill Sendak.

_I’m not doing fine,_ he grumbled as he leaned down to nibble at an itch on his right shoulder. _I need to be able to kill Sendak. How am I going to kill him, if I fall whenever I run too fast?_

Keith looked down at his toes. Truthfully he’d been steering Shiro clear of doing any actual killing. It was purely selfish: he was afraid of what might happen if Shiro got the taste of blood in his mouth, afraid of what would happen when Shiro’s alpha instincts flared up inside him. Shiro was in control now, even to the point that he submitted to Keith, but the omega didn’t think this was all there was to Shiro. His instincts were in there, waiting to be unleashed. 

With a sigh he looked around, flicking his ears. Nervousness started to churn in his stomach to the point he almost sick, but then he stood and said, _Fine, let’s try sparring._

Shiro whipped around. _You? You want me to fight you?_

Keith snorted. _If you can catch me, we can sparr. Come on._

_I don’t want to hurt you,_ Shiro refused. He stepped back.

_You couldn’t even catch a rabbit,_ Keith reminded him. He trotted close to the alpha and then lunged, nipping his teeth through the fur on his rump to nip his flesh. He tasted blood again. _Tag._

Shiro growled at the bite and whirled around. He was about to shout at Keith, refuse to participate, but then Keith bit him again. And when Shiro tried to move away from him, the little omega simply slipped in under his defenses, and bit him again.

With a low rumble Shiro took off after him.

Running was a lot harder than walking and casual prancing through an open field. The omega wolf was small and quick, sliding out of the reach of his teeth whenever Shiro got close enough. And when Shiro stumbled, Keith bit him again.

_Fuck!_ Shiro growled. He darted after Keith, following his strong scent through the darkness. They ran through a tangled line of trees along a deep creek bed. Shiro stumbled, he fell; he had to jump over fallen trees and around dead branches. He was growing tired and his limbs were starting to ache. He lashed his tail in irritation.

He thought about giving up and heading back to the car, but something primal had risen to the surface. He was an alpha, he was in charge of the pack, and he needed to catch Keith. If he couldn’t even catch the pack’s omega, then how could he possibly kill Sendak? But Shiro knew that in order to catch Keith, he had to stop thinking with just his animal brain, and think with his military brain. He picked his way through the trees, doubling back on his scent-trail and circling, before darting through the creek and up the opposite bank. He caught Keith’s scent on the wind and followed it. 

When he saw Keith cautiously following the path he’d made, he grinned. He had him now.

Shiro, quiet and hidden in shadows, waited. When the omega was close enough, he lunged. Keith turned his head just before impact, eyes wide, with a strangled yelp caught in his throat--

The two wolves rolled across the ground. Beneath him the omega yowled and fell, kicking and struggling and snapping his teeth. Shiro had to pull back to avoid the them, he didn’t want to lose an eye like Sendak. He was trying to just pin Keith to keep from getting bit when a primal urge rose up in him again, telling him to grab Keith by the throat, to pin him down, to bite him, to do whatever he could to force him into submission. To break him.

And Shiro, for a moment, lost himself in instinct. He rolled Keith onto his belly, to avoid the snap of his teeth, and grabbed him by the back of the neck. Beneath him the omega whined and cried, body trembling, unable to move out from under the much heavier alpha wolf lying over him. Teeth buried deep into fur, pressing against flesh, he gave him a shake.

Beneath him, Shiro could feel Keith’s frantic heartbeat and his loud panting breaths. 

_I’m not going to hurt you,_ Shiro reassured him as he leaned his weight on the smaller wolf. 

The omega whined pitifully. _Get off me!_

Hearing Keith’s voice, desperate and frightened, snapped Shiro out of his stupor and he released him. The moment he lifted his weight the omega wolf shot out from beneath him, slinking down into the grass and shaking. He stared after Keith, heart pounding and sickness in his gut. Shit. _Keith… I-I’m sorry. I scared you all over again, didn’t I?_

Keith’s tail was lashing around behind him. He shook his fur and inspected his body, but there were no cuts or chunks of fur missing; shockingly Shiro hadn’t torn into his neck when he’d pinned him down. _You caught me..._ he whispered. Shock continued to rush through him. Shiro had caught him, pinned him, caught his neck with his teeth, forced him into submission. He’d done the one thing that no one else had ever done. He shifted uneasily, not sure how he felt about it.

Shiro dropped his head, tail flat and ears squared. In the moonlight his fur glistened with blood from Keith’s many bites. _I hope I didn’t hurt you,_ he pleaded. The urge to break Keith was gone, replaced with a heavy guilt. Shiro was not going to be that kind of alpha, he decided right there. He would protect the ones he loved, not tower over them. He whined.

The black wolf flicked his ears and slowly stepped up to the large alpha, feeling compelled to try to fix some of the damage he had done. He circled slowly, licking at each and every wound. He was just cleaning up the blood on Shiro’s shoulder when the alpha started to lick his ears and across his forehead. Keith stopped and stilled, ears flattening in surprise.

_We should practice some more,_ Keith said as Shiro moved around him, licking at his fur and nuzzling against him. He backed away from him, needing some distance. Running from Shiro wasn’t what he wanted to do, but Sendak--

_No,_ Shiro said. He didn’t want to think about what it had felt like to hunt Keith down, to tackle him, to nearly sink his teeth into his flesh. It made him feel sick to his stomach and he could have easily hurt the smaller wolf. In fact, the alpha instincts inside him had wanted just that. Not to kill Keith, but to track him, force him, dominate him.

Keith, still breathing heavy from the fright, looked at Shiro. _But you were so insistent before._

_No,_ he repeated tiredly. He walked up to him and sat down heavily with a sigh. Keith leaned away from him for a second, before sitting as well. Shiro flicked his ears. It was one thing to dominate over Keith in the bedroom when they were touching and kissing, but this, this was old wild magic, spawned from blood and death and horror. He wanted to be one with his wolf, like Allura had talked to him about, but there were very obvious differences in the way he would live in both skin and fur. He sighed and tipped his head to the sky. _Let’s just sit and watch the sunrise._

Keith nodded once and curled his tail close. It took him a little while to calm down, and once he did, he scooted closer and closer to Shiro until they were touching. The larger wolf leaned on him and Keith leaned back. He found himself slowly relaxing into Shiro’s side, engulfed by the warmth of his fur and the heavy scent. 

Shiro glanced down at Keith who had snuggled up against him and fallen asleep. He sniffed at him before running his tongue across his forehead. No, he’d never hurt Keith again. No matter what instinct reared up inside him, he’d never hunt Keith, force him into submission, break him. Keith was wild and free, and that was exactly who he was and who he was supposed to be. Shiro would not be the person to take that away from him.

… 

Keith slowly tugged on his clothing. He pulled his shirt over his head and pulled his hair free from the shirt collar. His hand stopped on the nape of his neck, and he rubbed it. There were no marks from Shiro’s teeth, no bruises, but he could still picture the moment in his mind, and could almost feel pressure of sharp teeth.

He could hear Shiro on the other side of the Jeep as he dressed. The dark sky was growing brighter with streaks of bright colors and Keith wished he had a coffee. Maybe vodka. Maybe vodka in his coffee. He was checking his hair in the Jeep’s side mirror when he heard the grass crunch behind him.

He straightened and turned slowly to Shiro. Like himself, Shiro looked exhausted, but there was something else there. Was it regret? Keith frowned and tilted his head. He hoped Shiro didn’t feel any guilt for last night. He’d only done what alpha wolves did. And he could have done so much worse.

“So was that a successful night?” Shiro asked nervously as he ran his hand through his hair.

“Yeah,” Keith said as he cleared his throat. “You were incredible.”

Shiro frowned. “I could have hurt you.”

“But you didn’t,” Keith said tiredly. “You just… did what alphas do. It’s just...what’s deep inside of you, Shiro. I’m sure with time you’ll… Anyway. It’s nothing compared to what I did to you.” He gestured at the little bites spread across Shiro’s tanned skin. They were healing quickly; many were scabbed or just bruises, but they were still there.

Shiro shrugged. “You were helping me. Teaching me things.”

“And what did I teach you, exactly?” Keith asked.

“Not to mess with an omega,” Shiro said with a little grin. “Your teeth are fucking sharp.”

Keith blushed. “And now you know why.”

“And now I know why,” Shiro agreed. He stepped toward him, slowly, afraid that Keith would dash away like he did last night. But he didn’t, and when Shiro hugged him, Keith hugged him back. He pressed his face into Keith’s neck and kissed it while Keith nuzzled into his shoulder. He sighed heavily. “I love you.”

“Mm,” Keith hummed in agreement. He kissed at Shiro’s jaw before stepping back. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Yeah,” Shiro agreed as he went around to the passenger seat. The Jeep groaned to life and they headed back to the city. At Shiro’s suggestion they stopped at a drive-thru for breakfast sandwiches and coffee, then headed to Shiro’s apartment.

“You’re coming up, right?” Shiro asked as they parked. The food and coffee had helped settle his stomach and he was feeling better. Keith, although still a little uptight, had laughed along with him while they had waited in bumper-to-bumper morning traffic, feeding each other breakfast tots and the fruit from Keith’s yogurt parfait. But Shiro still felt he needed to make up for last night, no matter what Keith said about being okay with what happened.

“Oh,” Keith said with a glance at him, “Yeah, I can.”

They walked quietly up to the apartment and Shiro stopped to kick off his shoes. He looked for Keith and saw he was standing at the window, watching the sky. Shiro stopped, for a moment taken aback by his beauty. Living with Hunk had done Keith a lot of good, he’d put on a little weight and muscle, and overall he looked healthier. His hair had grown longer and Shiro wanted to bury his face in it. He wanted to mark Keith with his scent and his kisses, and be marked by Keith in return. His heart thrummed in his chest.

“Keith,” he said, voice shaky. “Last night I made a mistake. What I did to you, I should have never done.”

Keith turned to him. “Shiro, we talked about this already,” he said, “I’m fine. It was just--”

“No,” he interrupted, “don’t say it was just me being an alpha. If that’s what it means, then I don’t want to be it. I will never, _ever_ pin you again. I don’t ever want to feel your fear because of my teeth. And if you--if you submit to me, I want it to only because you want to. Because you want… because you want me. If you still want me.”

Keith’s mouth parted in surprise and he stared up at Shiro. His eyes felt wet and he scrubbed his hand over them. “Shiro, of course I still want you, and I love you. And when we’re… we’re like this, I’ll always submit to you.”

Shiro took a deep breath. The energy between them was building. He stepped closer. “Tell me you’re not afraid of me.”

Keith tipped his head up, looking at Shiro who stood over him. After last night there was no doubts about the wolf Shiro was to become. After he’d caught Keith and pinned him, he knew he was dealing with one the most powerful males he’d ever encountered. It would be stupid to encounter a wolf like Shiro and not be afraid. But looking at him right now, into his big pleading eyes, the way his mouth was turned down in a upset frown… Keith smiled. “I’m not afraid of you,” he promised. He touched Shiro’s cheek and leaned up to kiss his chin.

Shiro kissed Keith’s cheek in return and trailed his hand down his throat and chest. He stared at his face, watching his expression, before he tangled his hand in Keith’s thick hair. He leaned down and kissed him; hard and wanting. Keith was momentarily stunned, the aggressiveness of the kiss was new to their relationship. It’s all animal with Shiro’s teeth biting at his lower lip and his tongue licking and driving into his mouth. A needy moan is muffled between them. Keith’s hands groped for something to hold onto, settling on Shiro’s broad shoulders. He feels like the world is falling away, like he’s floating--

Because Shiro is suddenly lifting Keith up against him. Keith instinctively wraps his legs around the man’s waist. With Keith holding himself up against Shiro, the man’s hand is free to grope down his pants. Keith whimpers and wiggles, his body growing steadily more and more hot. It’s unlike any feeling he’d had before; even when they were messing around, touching and kissing and sucking, he’d never felt such feral heat. He kisses Shiro back, lapping at his tongue, moaning into his mouth.

“I want to make you mine,” Shiro rumbled as he left a bruise on Keith’s neck.

“Shiro, that’s all I’ve been wanting,” Keith whined back.

Shiro caught his lips again and walked them to the bedroom. Keith was light in his arms, but not at all weak. His legs were wrapped around Shiro in a death grip and his hands were pulling at his shirt. Shiro grunted as Keith jerked his shirt off before tugging off his own.

Skin against skin, it’s what Shiro had wanted since yesterday. He groaned, sucking on Keith’s neck, right where he knew the omega loved it. And sure enough, Keith’s entire body went slack, shuddering and submissive as Shiro feasted there. The incident from just hours ago faded away, and it was the two of them, flesh on flesh, alone in the bedroom.

“Nn--god,” Keith whined loudly and ground his hips against Shiro. “ _Please._ ”

Suddenly Shiro dropped him, causing him to stumble and nearly fall. “Strip,” he ordered as he did the same.

Keith didn’t need to be asked twice; he kicked off his socks and shoes before tugging off his sweatpants. It was then, when he was naked, that he felt a sudden change in the energy of the room, and he froze in surprise. He straightened and he looked to Shiro, which had him reeling. The man was staring at him with an hunger that made Keith’s knees weak. He shivered under the hard stare, felt the crackle of electricity in the air. Yes, Shiro had definitely changed with that moon. The air of dominance around him had grown tenfold. He might still be the same sweet man, but there was no doubt _what he was._ Keith felt like crumpling under the weight of that stare and fell back onto the bed.

Shiro was sure he’d never been so hard in his entire life. And it wasn’t just his dick that was aching, it was all of him. He stared at Keith, submissive and deliciously naked staring at him from _his_ bed. Shiro stepped forward slowly, watching the way his omega reacted. He prowled slowly to the bed, eyes locked onto his prey.

Keith’s eyes dilated and he bit his lip. For a moment he felt like running, but under the weight of Shiro’s stare, he remained on the bed. When Shiro reached for him Keith leaned slowly into the touch, eyes closing and heart hammering in his chest. He was aching and wanting, and he was ready to beg Shiro if he had to. He was about to do just that, when Shiro’s hand pressed on his chest, sending him back onto the bed with a gasp.

He laid there, waiting, watching as Shiro retrieved a bottle of lube from the nightstand. Shiro knelt on the bed between Keith’s open knees, leaning down to kiss at Keith’s thighs while he flipped open the bottle and wet two fingers. With a patience that surprised Shiro, he started to work his fingers into Keith’s body. They’d done a little fingering before, but it hadn’t been as intimate as this. He groaned when Keith’s body easily swallowed his fingers.

“Fuck,” he panted, mouth suddenly dry. 

“Aaah god,” Keith moaned sharply. He spread his legs, lifted his hips, offered himself up to the alpha that was looming over him. He panted eagerly, the heavy scent of his arousal fogging the bedroom. With eyes closed he tried to relax. He felt the man add a third finger and Keith whined, tears building in his eyes. “Shiro--please. I-I need---”

“Almost ready,” Shiro promised huskily. He was torn between watching Keith’s face and his fingers as they thrust in and out, twisting and spreading. “We waited too long to do this.”

“Tell me about it,” Keith answered, his voice high and sharp. “My fault… for being distant…” He moaned again.

Shiro shook his head as he added more lube. Keith responded to him with an urgent cry. “It’s both of our faults,” Shiro argued as he licked Keith’s inner thigh. “But I’m never going to make that mistake again.” He sank his teeth into the soft flesh there and sucked hard until the skin was dark and bruised. Keith whimpered in response, and his body clamped down, pulling Shiro’s fingers in deeper. “Fuck, baby…” he gasped before biting him again.

Keith thought they were taking too much time prepping, but he couldn’t bring himself to speak, because Shiro’s fingers were deep and he could only think about how much he _needed_ this. And every time Shiro bit him the fire inside grew hotter and hotter. Shit, he’d never thought he’d like being bitten, but every time Shiro did it, leaving behind a swollen bruise, he only begged louder. He knew he was acting desperate and needy; it may have even embarrassed him, but he couldn’t stop, he couldn’t help it. He just knew that he needed Shiro deep inside him; he needed to be _his_. “Shiro, _please!_ ” he whined.

Shiro removed his fingers and raised his head from the bites he’d left scattered throughout Keith’s inner thighs. Keith was as ready as he was going to be. After adding good amount of lube to his aching cock, he stared down at the young man beneath him. Keith was vulnerable and exposed to him in every way, his body open and spread, waiting just for _him_. He ran his hand up between his legs and then grabbed his hip to steady himself. Keith reached back and grabbed the headboard and met Shiro’s eyes. He nodded.

With a deep breath Shiro slowly started to push--

Keith’s breath hitched and he squeaked at Shiro’s first painfully slow thrust. He was very much aware of the power Shiro possessed as he slowly mounted him. _Holy shit_ was Shiro large. He let out a couple sharp gasps of pain as his body stretched to accommodate the cock that was nestled inside him. He squeezed Shiro with his thighs and let his fall back as he took deep breaths.

Shiro stared down at Keith’s tear-streaked face. “Goddamn…” he groaned. He was all the way in, and he just froze there. Keith was fucking tight, and he was worried he was going to hurt him. He watched Keith’s face as it scrunched in pain. His body trembled. “Keith? You okay?” he gasped.

“Mm,” he answered, voice shaking. “I think so. You’re--big.”

_It’s his first time,_ Shiro reminded himself, _be careful._

“If it hurts too much we can try a different position?” he asked. He rested his weight on his knees so he could run his hand down Keith’s chest. He rested his palm over his heart and felt it pounding.

“N-no,” Keith gasped. He released the headboard and touched Shiro’s face with one hand while the other grabbed the hand over his heart. “Just give me a second…” He closed his eyes and focused on relaxing his body. He opened his legs a little bit more, raised his hips slightly, dug his toes into the bed. All the while Shiro remained still, waiting patiently, while his cock was sheathed in perfect, moist heat. As Keith gathered himself, Shiro started to kiss at his neck and chest.

“I’m going to try moving,” Shiro said as he mouthed Keith’s neck. “Ready?”

Keith swallowed hard. “O-okay.” 

Shiro rested his hand on Keith’s hip and took a deep breath. “Hold on, baby,” he said as he slowly started to pull out, and then drive back in again. He watched Keith’s face for any signs of pain. At first the omega frowned, then after the second thrust--moaned. His entire body seemed to react, moving with every thrust. 

“My god, Keith,” Shiro groaned as he worked in and out of him at a slow pace. Keith squeezed his thighs around Shiro, hanging on and letting him take the lead. His hands gripped at Shiro’s upper arms and his head remained thrown back in the pillows, his face flushed and wet, his hair a disheveled mess. Shiro had never seen anything so beautiful in his life.

_He’s mine,_ Shiro realized as he rocked in and out. _I’m making him mine._

“Fuck, baby you feel so good,” he groaned. The looked down the length of the omega’s body, fit and limber, and when Keith squeezed him with his legs again… god. Shiro wanted those legs wrapped around him forever. He closed his eyes, bowing his head, sweat dripping off his nose as he struggled for control. He wanted to move faster and harder, he wanted Keith screaming. But even in his inebriated state he knew better. Nothing was worth causing Keith pain.

“Aha...” Keith answered. He opened his eyes for a moment, staring up at Shiro. His eyes were currently closed, and his brows were furrowed as he concentrated each driving thrust. He looked down between them, watching the slow, steady movement of Shiro’s body; the flex of his abs and his arm. Shiro was holding back, Keith could tell by the tension in his muscles. Keith wondered it would be like if Shiro let loose and just fucked him until he was screaming.

He whined at the thought and bucked his hips, which caused Shiro’s thrust to hit him harder and deeper. Both moaned and Shiro opened his eyes, staring down at the needy omega beneath him. Their eyes met; smoldering darkness and bright purple. Keith leaned up, hands tangled in Shiro’s sweaty hair, and started to kiss at his neck and his chin. He let out a cry.

“What do you need, baby?” Shiro answered as he nuzzled against him. He kissed the bridge of Keith’s nose.

Keith answered with another eager buck of his hips and then shoved his hand between them to stroke himself. Shiro watched greedily as he ground deeper into the body beneath him. They’re both balancing on the edge, ready to snap at any moment. He can read it on Keith’s flushed face. Shiro wants the moment to last forever, but his body can’t keep up the slow, dragging pace much longer, and he imagines that Keith’s starting to ache. So he leaned down, tucking his face into Keith’s neck and picked up the pace. 

Keith’s sobs as he came was high and needy, music to his ears, and was enough to send Shiro over the edge. He came hard, growling against Keith’s neck and plowing into him, hard and sloppy; his thrusts made the bed hit the wall and rattle the window. 

Exhausted, brain on the brink of blackness and heaven, Shiro sank down onto Keith, resting his cheek on his shoulder. Keith lay beneath him, boneless and panting. Shiro chuckled, because Keith was out. He lay for a moment, until the world stopped spinning and he was back on earth. _I’m pretty sure my soul left my body for a moment._ He leaned up, weight on his elbow.

“Keith?” he asked as he kissed as his neck. Slowly the omega’s eyes opened and he looked around before meeting Shiro’s eyes.

Keith could feel Shiro still nestled deep in him, he felt the heat of his seed inside him; marking him inside out with his scent. Any werewolf that approached Keith would know instantly that he belonged to someone. Hell, with Shiro’s scent being so potent, even humans might notice.

Keith giggled and raised his hands, covering his face.

“What’s so funny?” Shiro asked as he shifted, careful to keep his full weight off the smaller man beneath him.

“Nothing,” he gasped, his laughter turning to soft sobs. “I’m just--I’ve never been so happy.”

Shiro cooed and carefully pulled Keith against him and turned them, so Keith was resting on his chest. He held him tight, kissing along his face and his neck. “You deserve to be this happy everyday, and I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you are.”

“My god,” Keith cried, “you’re so sappy.” Shiro only answered him with a deep laugh before he started to nuzzle against him. Keith whined softly as Shiro pampered him, kissing his face and his neck, rubbing his back. When he pulled out, cum wet Keith’s thighs. Shiro ran his hand down between them, stroking the wetness there. Keith had no idea what Shiro was doing, he just knew that it all felt good and he was growing more relaxed and heavy with sleep.

“Get some sleep, baby,” he said as he curled against him. They both needed it.

… 

The sound of the door buzzer woke Shiro with a jolt. He sat up, blinking sluggishly as he looked around the bedroom. Keith was gone, and he was sure he heard voices from the living room. Stumbling out of bed, his body both exhausted from his transformation to and from a wolf, but also the best sex of his life, had him moving rather slowly.

He jerked on a pair of sweats before padding out to the living room, just as Keith closed the apartment door. He tilted his head when he saw Keith holding a large paper brown bag that read ‘Little Mama’s Big Kitchen’ on the side.

“You ordered take-out?” he asked.

“I’m starving,” Keith said with a blush, “and I wanted to surprise you.”

He then noticed that Keith was wearing a pair of _his_ boxers, and one of _his_ hoodies. Affection swelled in Shiro’s chest. His mate smelled like him, was wearing his clothing, and was practically glowing. Shiro knew it was pompous for him to take all the credit for Keith’s currently happiness, but he couldn’t help it.

“I am surprised,” he said as he walked up to Keith and kissed his cheek. “Maybe I’ll eat you for dessert.”

The immediate change in Keith’s scent and expression made Shiro swell with pride.

“Have you always been this way?” Keith asked as he moved away from the man to set the table. 

Shiro stepped up to help. “Only since I met you.”

Keith laughed softly. They sat down to eat once the table was set with the meal Keith had ordered; a whole roasted chicken, red-roasted potatoes in garlic butter, peas and carrots, and honey butter biscuits. Keith hummed happily, the hot food just what he needed to rejuvenate after last night and this morning. He licked gravy from his lips and glanced at Shiro. He felt no ill-will toward him. What Shiro had done, it had frightened Keith, but then he’d stopped. He’s actually stopped his alpha instincts. If Keith needed a more obvious declaration of love, it was that.

“So um, this morning,” Shiro said between bites, “I wasn’t too rough, was I?”

Keith blushed. “No.” In fact, he probably could have been a little rougher, but Keith wasn’t about to say that out loud.

“So you aren’t sore?”

“Oh, I am,” he laughed. “But it’s good. I like it.”

Shiro blushed hotly. “Good.” He drank down his second glass of water before he asked, “So, will you be my boyfriend?”

Keith looked up. “What? Really?”

“Yeah,” he answered. 

“I--yes! Absolutely,” he answered with a little grin that wrinkled his nose. “Let’s be boyfriends.”

Truthfully, Shiro felt like they were well beyond the boyfriend mark. When he looked at Keith knew he they were meant to be together forever, and nothing would tear them apart. Not even Sendak. Not even the alpha inside of him.

“I wonder how the others are doing,” Shiro said, a bit startled that he hadn’t thought of the rest of the pack sooner.

Keith, shoving a piece of chicken in his mouth, stood to grab his phone from where he’d left it with his keys. “I have a few text messages,” he said, “from Pidge. She says the night was uneventful, they stayed up and gaming until dawn, and yeah. She hopes that we finally fucked.” 

Shiro chortled. “Are you going to tell her?”

“I don’t have to,” he said with a blush. “She’ll know when she smells me.”

Shiro smiled proudly. “Oh yeah?”

Keith gave him a look. “Stop looking so smug.”

“I can’t help it,” Shiro said with a grin, “I just… I love knowing that we smell like each other.”

Keith was about to correct him, tell Shiro that _he_ smelled like _him,_ when Shiro added, “I guess you could fuck me next time and then we really will smell like each other.”

“Wh-what? Seriously?” Keith sputtered. He took a moment to imagine _that_ and was filled immediately with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. “But--you aren’t supposed to submit to anybody.”

Shiro stood and smiled down at Keith. He leaned down and kissed at his neck and his chin and his jaw. “I submit to you, Keith. Like I did in that field. I’ll show you belly, I’ll give you my throat, and I’ll, ya know, bend over.”

Keith breathed a laugh. “Your way with words could rival Shakespeare.”

…

“So, I want to hear everything!” Allura said after she settled in Keith’s old recliner.

Shiro and Keith, on the couch, looked at each other before Keith nudged Shiro. “Go on, you tell her.”

Shiro took a deep breath. “Um, well. It went pretty much how you told me. I had the nightmares and the pains, and my moods were… all over the place. The transformation was fucking hell. I never… thought it would be like that.” He cleared his throat. “It took me a few minutes to kind of come into myself, but once I did, I could talk to Keith.”

She sputtered, eyes wide and darting between the two. “You were in control? You talked to Keith?”

“Yeah,” Shiro said as he squeezed Keith’s hand. “We went all over that area. Keith showing me how to be a wolf.”

“That’s--that’s incredible, Shiro.” At his blush and shrug, she continued, “No, truly Shiro, this is amazing. Even a lot of natural born werewolves like myself have problems with our first couple of months, but for you to change and not have a problem? Brilliant!” she clapped her hands and reached for her tea. After a sip she gave the two of them a impish grin, “And I see you two are officially mates now.”

Keith gave Shiro a ‘I told you’ look before shrugging. Shiro said, “I love how many people are invested in our sex life.”

“Sex is a part of our lives,” Allura laughed. “But I can see how it can look a bit creepy. I apologize.”

“No, don’t, it’s fine,” Shiro said as leaned back, his arm around Keith. “I did have one problem though.”

“Your missing leg?” Allura guessed.

“Yeah. Keith and I ran around a lot, we even played uh, tag, but I still had problems not falling on my face. And now I have one month until I face Sendak. How exactly am I going to--to do this? Can I try changing on my own?” Shiro asked.

Allura looked down at her tea before answering. “Honestly, Shiro, when that day comes, you’re going to have to just go into it without thinking about that missing leg. You can try training, come with Keith to our sessions in the park, but unless you’re under great stress, I don’t see you changing on your own. Speaking of which, Keith, how did your transformation go?”

“I did everything you’ve been telling me,” he said, “and it was… almost easy. I wish I would have listened to you years ago.”

She smiled proudly. “I’m just glad it’s all starting to pay-off.” She noticed Shiro’s downcast expression. “Shiro, you don’t need speed to defeat another alpha wolf. You need strength, something you obviously have plenty of. You aren’t running away like Keith or I would. You’re going in to kill him. It’s the power you carry in your teeth that matters.”

“Well, they’re strong enough,” Keith commented.

Allura tilted her head. “Did you two hunt?”

Shiro glanced at Keith. He hadn’t wanted to talk about it, but he couldn’t think of a better person. “I… caught Keith.”

The she-wolf’s eyebrows went up. “You… actually _caught_ him?”

“Yeah,” Shiro said heavily. Guilt swelled up inside him and he was about to apologize when Keith pinched his thigh. He yelped.

Allura could see the heaviness weighing Shiro’s shoulders down. She frowned. “But you didn’t hurt him?”

“No,” he said, “but I wanted to… the wolf wanted to. Not _hurt_ -hurt, but…”

“Force him into submission,” Allura finished for him. “How did you get away from that, Keith?”

“I didn’t,” Keith confessed. He squeezed Shiro’s hand. “He let me go.”

“I overcame it,” Shiro said, “and I… stepped away from him, once I realized what I was doing. But I’m never going to do it again.”

Allura nodded, impressed. “Shiro, that’s… that’s amazing. You’re going to be a formidable alpha someday.”

“I’d say he already is,” Keith said.

“Only because of you,” Shiro said, lifting Keith’s hand and kissing his knuckles. “I’ll do everything in my power to keep you safe.”

Realizing things were getting mushy real fast, Keith shook his head and cleared his throat. He glanced at Allura, who was giving them a long, heart-eyed look. He frowned at her. “Stop that.”

“Sorry,” she laughed, “you two are just--”

“Please don’t compare us to some romance novel,” Keith groaned. “Just, just stop it.” But glancing at Shiro, Keith couldn’t help but admit that he did fit the physique of the man usually on the cover of said books with his chest out and muscles bulging. He covered his mouth as he giggled.


	14. Penumbra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I can't say it enough: you guys and your amazing comments give me such warmth and life. I LOVE YOU GUYS xoxo

Keith, who had been sitting on the bed with a clipboard in his lap and bills scattered around on the bed in front of him, looked up when the bedroom door opened. He expected it to be Hunk, but instead it was Pidge. She took a quick evaluation of the room before hopping up onto the bed, tablet in hand. “Hey, I gotta show you something.”

“I’m kind of busy at the moment,” he said as he frowned at the bills in front of him.

“Naw, this is more important,” she said, scooting across the bed until she was next to Keith.

He sighed and dropped the clipboard. It was time to work out the bills and now he was struggling to figure out how to he was going to add payments for a new vehicle on top of it. His Jeep was just barely holding together. Today he’d lost the side mirrors and the muffler was starting to sound like a racecar. “Sure, what’s up? A new WoW character?”

“No,” she laughed, “well, I do actually, but that’s not what this is about.” She paused and looked around suddenly, “Did you two have sex in this bed last night?”

“I changed the sheets,” Keith replied defensively.

She smirked at him, mouth turned up in a grin. “I didn’t see him when I came in.”

“He had to run home,” Keith explained. Shiro had been staying with him for the past three days.

“Okay. Well here, take a look at this.”

Keith took the tablet when offered and frowned. It was an advertisement for an available apartment in the building. It was one floor up and a corner lot; two bedroom with a larger kitchen, came with a stacked washer and dryer in the bathroom, and had a balcony. He blinked. “You’re moving?”

“No,” she snorted, “I was thinking for you.”

“Why would I want to move?” Keith asked as he turned to her.

She sighed. “For you and Shiro, nitwick,” Pidge said as she poked Keith’s nose.

“What? Me and, what? We’re not--living together,” Keith said. “We just started dating.”

“You’re not dating, you’re mated,” Pidge said. 

Keith set the tablet down on the bed. “Pidge…”

“At least go look at it,” Pidge said. “It’s a nice place.”

“Yeah, with higher rent,” Keith pointed out. “I’m already struggling, and now I need a new car.”

“Once Shiro gets a job you’ll be fine,” she countered. 

“Besides,” Keith said with a heavy sigh, “we could all be dead next month.”

“Then you won’t need to worry about making rent.”

“Shit,” he laughed as he bumped shoulders with the shapeshifter. “While that is true, what makes you think Shiro wants to move in with me? He has a great apartment already. He grew up there.”

Pidge shrugged. “Then move in with him.”

Keith shook his head. “I don’t think I can do that.”

“Why not?”

He glanced at her and then looked away.

Pidge’s face pinkened. “Don’t tell me you’re staying because of me.”

“You’re my best friend, Pidge,” he pointed out, “I can’t image not living in the same building as you.”

She hugged him. “Aw, you do love me.”

“Oh, get off me,” he said as he leaned away but was unable to squirm out of her grasp. “Are you sure you aren’t part koala?”

She shrugged and let him go, picking up her tablet. “I’m just saying, it’s here if you want to look at it. It won’t be available for very long, it’s way too nice.”

Keith chewed his lip. It was really tempting. He imagined waking up with Shiro every morning. Talking over coffee, exchanging kisses as they left for work, snuggling on the couch together, cooking together, sleeping together every night…

Pidge’s little snort pulled Keith out of his daydream and he turned to stare at her. “What?”

“You were totally just thinking about it,” she laughed. “You were imaging domestic bliss with that hot man.”

Keith blushed. “Maybe I was. But I, come on, we’ve known each only a month. Like, a month. That’s it.”

“Normally I would agree with you. You’re relationship is still really new. You just mated. But things are different with werewolves,” she said. “You know that.”

“I do, I know,” Keith said as he picked at a rip in his jeans, “but what if Shiro is against the idea?”

“Then you don’t let it ruin your relationship and you work your future out together?” she suggested.

“I think you need a talk show,” Keith said as he started to gather all his bills and papers, “then you can bug other people.”

She chortled. “I’m just trying to look out for you.”

“Thanks,” he said as he stuffed checks with the proper billing statement and then sealed them in. 

“Did you get this at Voltron?”

He looked up. Pidge was standing at his dresser holding the little plush lion Shiro had won him. “Shiro won it for me.”

“Aww!” she said and hugged it.

“Okay, get out,” Keith said as he grabbed the lion from her and shooed her out of the bedroom. AFter grabbing all the outgoing mail he left the apartment, heading down the stairs to the lobby where the mail boxes were. He just stepped out of the stairwell when a fresh scent hit him.

Keith stopped as the hair stood up on the back of his neck. _Sendak._ Keith slowly stepped through the lobby, following the smell to the laundry room. Before he opened the door he could smell the blood. A growl started in his throat. Keith pushed the door opened and stepped inside.

“Oh, watch your step,” purred the man’s deep voice. 

Keith looked down and saw his feet were inches from a pool of blood. “You just can’t stay away, can you?” he growled.

Sendak, sitting on one of the washing machines, laughed. At his feet, tore open from belly to throat, was the mail carrier. “And why would I stay away from my favorite little bitch?”

Keith bristled. “You didn’t have to kill her.”

“But it was so much fun,” Sendak said. “And it’s just a little bit of payback.”

Keith frowned and stepped around the blood and further into the room. “For what?”

“Renveig didn’t appreciate what you did to him,” Sendak said casually as he looked at his nails. “For his failure I had to kill him. I just can’t stand failure.”

“Funny since that’s all you manage to do.”

Sendak looked up as the white of his eye bled black. He bared his sharpened teeth. “I told your champion that I’d give him two months until I killed him. But I made no promises about you.”

Keith stole a quick glance behind him to make sure they were alone. The washer creaked as Sendak slid off it. He stepped over the dead mail carrier and growled at Keith.

“You’ve been lucky for an omega,” Sendak said as he circled around Keith. “I’m drawn to omegas, you see. But you… you in particular. During our first encounter my blood _burned_ for you. I wanted to catch and fuck you, but you slipped away. You can’t stay lucky forever, Keith, and sooner or later, I will catch you.”

Keith bared his teeth. “It’s going to be the best day of my life when I rip out your throat, Sendak.”

The larger man laughed. “I’m curious, how did Shirogane’s first full moon go? I see you’re still alive. But you let him fuck you like a bitch in heat,” he said as he took a deep breath through his nose. He groaned. “I wonder what you’ll smell like covered in my scent and seed? I just had to wait for him to leave this morning. Such the good alpha, isn’t he?” he mocked. “Attentive, good to his pack. Tell me, when you fucks, does he bite your neck and pin you down?”

A snarl escaped Keith’s lips as he moved away from the intimidating alpha. “You aren’t going to win any of this.”

“How do you know?” Sendak asked as he blocked the only door.

“Because I’m here.”

Keith snapped his head up in surprise as the laundry room door burst open and off its hinges and there was Shiro. He watched as the man tackled Sendak to the ground with a loud growl. The sound of bones breaking filled the room when Shiro punched the other man across the face.

“Shiro!” Keith yelled. 

Sendak’s head snapped back, but he used the other alpha’s disability to his advantage, and grabbed Shiro by the throat while blocking his next hit. He pushed Shiro back before kicking him away. The large alpha pushed to his feet, laughing as blood ran down his nose from Shiro’s punch. His eye darted between them. “How touching.”

“You stay away from him,” Shiro snarled, his voice heavy and gnarled to the point that Keith almost didn’t understand his words. 

Sendak smirked before lunging. He hit Shiro across the face, throwing him into the wall behind him. Shiro ducked when Sendak punched at him again and the other alpha grunted in pain as his first went through the wall. Shiro grabbed him by his free arm and flipped him over his shoulder and onto the concrete ground. Sendak wheezed in pain and quickly rolled out of Shiro’s grasp.

Shiro was just as fast, leaping after Sendak and tackling him to the ground. Sendak snapped his teeth at Shiro, who punched him in the face again and then grabbed him by the back of his neck. With a deep breath he pushed to his teeth and hurled Sendak into the opposite wall.

Keith, grabbing the fire extinguisher off the wall, jumped at Sendak when he got to his feet. He brought it down over Sendak’s head. The cannister dented and hissed and Keith lifted it to swing around again, but Sendak grabbed it and pulled it out of his hands. He turned, throwing it at Shiro’s face, while grabbing Keith by the throat. The cannister hit Shiro’s face, knocking him back.

Keith yelped as Sendak dragged him into a headlock and turned around to face Shiro.

“Look what I finally caught,” the man laughed. He leaned down and ran his tongue along Keith’s face.

Shiro stood up. His cheek was bleeding from Sendak’s fist the impact from the fire extinguisher. His eyes darkened when he saw Keith struggling in the other alpha’s grip. Keith wiggled just enough to sink his teeth into Sendak’s arm.

“Fuck!” Sendak barked as he lurched away from the omega. Before Keith could step away he grabbed him by his hair and jerked him back. Keith grunted and twisted, biting at him again, before the alpha pulled him back and pressed his teeth threateningly against the back of Keith’s neck. Time stopped for a moment.

A rapid rush of power hit Shiro like a lightning strike. His mate was in danger. Shiro bared his teeth which had sharpened into fangs and wrinkled his nose. A low, threatening growl rumbled from his chest and he flexed his fingers as his nails sharpened into claws. He saw the shock on Keith’s face, and the recognition in Sendak’s. Sclera bled back and his naturally dark eyes glowed. 

With a snap of teeth he leaped at the two--

Sendak stumbled back in surprise when Shiro rushed at him, teeth flashing and claws reaching out for him. Out of desperation to escape he shoved Keith at the attacking apha--

Keith closed his eyes when he found himself being thrown forward into Shiro’s attack path. The impact was hard, knocking the breath out of him, and waited for the bite of teeth and claws. Instead Shiro’s arm curled around him and the alpha hovered over him, snarling in the direction Sendak had gone.

They fell to the ground, Keith landing on his back with Shiro hovering over him, a thundering growl coming from his chest.

Then it was quiet and Shiro was collapsing next to him with a shaky cry.

“Shiro?!” he yelped as he got to his knees and reached for his mate. Shiro was shaking and gasping as his body, which had been hovering between transformations, snapped back to his human skin. He groaned loudly in pain and blood dripped from his mouth.

“Sendak?” Shiro coughed as he leaned his forehead against the cold, hard ground.

“Gone,” Keith said. He rested his hand on Shiro’s back and felt the shiver of his skin and the vibration of shifting bones. He stood and checked through the broken doors. Seeing no one he stepped out and followed Sendak’s scent out the front lobby door. There were black marks on the pavement from a motorcycle peeling away in a hurry. He jogged back to the laundry room and found Shiro standing over the dead mail carrier.

“I’ll call the police,” Keith said as he touched Shiro’s arm. “Go up to the apartment.”

“I want to stay with you,” he stubbornly argued. He touched Keith’s cheek before pulling him forward, his hand going to the back of his neck. There were no bites or bruises there. He sighed in relief and stepped back.

“It’ll be easier if it’s just me,” Keith insisted softly as he pulled his phone from his pocket. “Go up. Tell Pidge.”

Shiro finally relented and headed to the stairwell. Keith, shaking from a mixture of adrenaline and shock, dialed nine-one-one and waited for the dispatcher to pick up. By the time the police showed up Keith had settled on a good story that wasn’t so far from the truth: he’d come downstairs to put his mail in the outgoing box when he saw the damaged laundry room doors and found the mail carrier dead on the floor. Thankfully he was still shaken from the entire situation, so there wasn’t a lot to question Keith about. They called Acxa, the building’s landlord, and she wrinkled her nose at the bloody mess and the damage to the walls and the machines. 

“This fucking neighborhood,” was all she had to say about the situation.

After leaving his contact information with the men he headed back up to his apartment. Pidge was gone, but Shiro was there, sitting in the overstuffed recliner and fidgeting. He hopped to his feet when Keith closed the door behind him and locked it.

“How did it go?” he asked.

“Fine. They believed everything I said,” he answered tiredly. “Are you okay?”

Shiro touched the nasty cut on his cheek. “It stings but it’ll heal.” He was bruised and scraped up elsewhere, but gash on his face was the thing that hurt the most. He really hoped it didn’t scar, he had enough of those.

Keith stepped up and motioned for Shiro to lean down. After kissing him on the bridge of his nose, he slowly ran his tongue over the cut, cleaning it of blood. He felt Shiro flinch beneath the touch of his tongue before shuddering. The scent of arousal touched the air between them.

“That’s better,” Keith said as he stepped back. He touched the bruising surrounding the cut. “I can’t believe I let that happen.”

“What do you mean? What actually did happen?” Shiro asked.

“I smelled him and followed his scent to the laundry room,” Keith confessed.

“Keith--”

“I know, I know, it was stupid,” he said as he turned and walked away. In the kitchen he opened the refrigerator but found it was mostly empty. He grunted. “I smelled the blood and I just… if he’d had someone in there that he was hurting, I had to help. Unfortunately I was too late for that lady.”

“It’s not your fault,” Shiro said gently.

Keith ran his hands through his hair. “Well, in this case it certainly was,” he pointed out. “He’s stalking us. He knew you’d left the apartment.”

“Of course he is,” Shiro grumbled. After the full moon and their mating, life had started to look up. In fact, Shiro had foolishly started to forget about the danger looming on the horizon. All he’d wanted was to spend time with Keith, and the rest of the pack. He saw them all differently now. They _were_ his pack, and he needed to keep them safe. He finally understood what Allura had said about his alpha instincts and the need to protect his family.

He looked at Keith, who was pacing back and forth. He understood his frustration. “Keith.”

“No,” he said, “you’re going to try to make me feel better about all this and I don’t deserve it.”

He frowned. “And why not?”

“Sendak said he… hunts omegas,” Keith said. “So yes, it’s finally confirmed: all this bullshit is because of me.”

The pain in Keith’s voice pulled at Shiro’s heart and he stepped up and scooped Keith up against his chest before sitting down in the recliner. Keith sat stiffly before he finally sank against him, face pressed into Shiro’s chest. He refused to cry, and instead took solace in the man’s strength and scent. He let out a frustrated huff.

“Are you okay?” Shiro asked as he touched his chin.

Keith shook his head. “No.”

“Are you physically hurt?”

“No,” he answered quietly, “just a little bruised and scraped up. No big deal.”

“Keith, we need to be on the same page here,” Shiro said, “this isn’t your fault.”

“Yes it is.”

“You have no control over who Sendak decides to stalk, omega or not,” Shiro pointed out. “He’s a monster, plain and simple.”

“But--”

“No,” Shiro insisted. He leaned down, kissing Keith’s forehead. “You have to stop blaming yourself, Keith. You’re not Sendak’s first victim. Before I met you, I’d seen him around. He would stalk people around the gym, the grocery store, even on the street. Looking back now I wonder if those people had been werewolves. All I know is after I saw him select his prey, I never saw them again. The man is a serial killer, plain and simple.”

Keith sighed. “There’s no denying that.”

“So you’ll stop blaming yourself?” Shiro asked gently.

He nodded. “I’ll try.”

It was a good enough answer for Shiro. He kissed Keith’s neck. 

“I didn’t expect you to be back so soon,” Keith said. He was certainly glad he had, though.

“I wouldn’t have been, but there was a message on my answering machine at home and I had a job interview,” he said, “I barely made it there.”

“How did it go? Did you get it? What was it?”

Shiro’s face pinched. “Uh, well I did get it. It’s telemarketing.”

Keith laughed softly. “Hey, it’ll pay the bills, right?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Shiro said. “My mother’s been helping me, but I need to pay her back. It’s going to take a lot of time.”

Keith fidgeted. “Um…”

“Hm?” 

“Well, it’s…” he sighed heavily. “This may not be the best time to talk about it.”

“No, tell me, what is it?”

“Pidge was telling me this morning that there’s an apartment available on the next floor,” he explained. “It’s um, a two-bedroom, one bath, big kitchen…”

“Keith? Are you asking me to move in with you?”

He swallowed hard. “I might be.” A heavy silence followed his words and he added, “Unless you don’t want to, then no.”

“No, it’s not that,” Shiro said, “I was just imagining what it would be like to wake up with you every day.”

“And?” he asked breathlessly.

“And I think I like it,” Shiro purred. “Where is this apartment? Can we go look at it?”

Keith was shocked. He turned to look at Shiro and tilted his head. “You really want to?”

“Live with you? Of course!” Shiro said, his face breaking out in a huge smile. “If you can handle this bad boy.”

“You don’t have a bad bone in your body,” Keith laughed, even has his mind flashed back to the laundry room and Shiro’s partial transformation. What Shiro had done was near impossible, yet he had. Almost easily.

“Hey, I can be a bad boy,” Shiro insisted with a grin that said otherwise.

“Mm-hm,” Keith laughed.

“So?” Shiro said with a nudge, “the apartment?”

“Um, lemme see,” he said as he left the warmth of Shiro’s lap to grab his laptop. He pulled up the building’s website and found the apartment that was currently listed. He sat back down with Shiro and scrolled through the photos.

“It’s nice,” Shiro said. “Can you call your landlord?”

“Don’t take this the wrong way but… what about your place? You grew up there…”

“I did,” Shiro agreed, “and it’ll be hard to leave it, but I’ve been itching for something new ever since I returned from overseas. I just couldn’t bring myself to actually commit to moving, and then there was the issue with being jobless and you know, the werewolf-ism.”

Keith smiled. “Let me make a call.”

An hour later he and Shiro stood in the empty apartment. Acxa, still fuming about having another murder happen in her building, had give them a key and told them to show themselves around and return the key when done. She was not in the mood to play happy-friendly-landlord.

“What do you think?” Keith asked as he hovered nervously by the windows.

“I think I love it,” Shiro said as he walked around. The front door opened into the wide living room, which had solid wood floors and even a gas fireplace in the corner. The kitchen was larger than his and had space for a kitchen table. Down the hall were two spacious bedrooms and a bathroom that had a stacked washer and dryer, along with a shower/bathtub combo. Sliding glass doors in the living room lead out to a large balcony. “I think it could be home.”

Keith wiped his hand over his eyes, which were tearing up. “Home?”

“Yeah,” Shiro purred. He stepped over to the young omega and touched his cheek, wiping away his tears. “But it won’t be home without you here with me.”

Keith took one more look around. The ceiling was high, the light fixtures relatively new; it needed painting and the floor polished. “It has a lot of potential,” he said softly. The kitchen had new countertops and that shined, and the window in the bedroom had a better view of the city than his. The balcony was big enough for a small grill and some furniture...

Shiro hugged him from behind. “It really does.”

“And I think… I think together… we could really make it our’s.”

Shiro let out a happy whoop and pulled Keith into his arms and kissed him wetly. Keith laughed tearfully.

…

“You’re moving in together!?” Hunk exclaimed after he came home from work. “That’s so great!”

Keith blushed. He and Shiro had gone straight to Acxa to put in the paperwork for the apartment. They had decided that even if they didn’t get the apartment, they were still going to move in together. Shiro had some time to think, and decided that he was ready to move out of his family home. It held a lot of memories, good and bad, but he needed to step out and make his own memories now, with his own family.

“Hey, maybe I can take this place,” Hunk said as he moved around the apartment, gathering his dirty clothes.

Keith looked up from the island where he’d been going over paperwork. Shiro was in the shower and was going to spend the night again, though with a good reason this time. “Seriously?”

“Yeah! I like it here,” he said with a big grin. “I like living across from Pidge, and it’s closer to work, and… well, there aren’t rats and there hasn’t been one shooting.”

Keith snorted. “Only horrible bloody murder in the laundry room.”

Hunk tilted his head back and forth and shrugged. “True, but you know, whatever. I like it here.”

“I’m sure Acxa would like that, easier for her than advertising,” Keith said with a shrug, “you could call her--”

“Oh, I know her apartment! Lance and I ran into her one day. Really pretty, right? But with a murder-you-assassin vibe?” he said as he picked up the laundry basket. “Does she have a washer and dryer?”

“Um, I’m sure she does--wait, no, Hunk where--” Keith watched as Hunk ignored him and left the apartment, presumably to ask the meanest landlord Keith knew if he could rent the apartment and use her washing machine. Keith hoped Hunk came back alive.

The bathroom door opened and Shiro stepped out, warm and clean and smelling like Keith’s body wash wash, and only wearing a pair of drawstring pajama pants.

Keith tilted his head, appreciating the view. 

“I heard Hunk come home, where is he?” Shiro asked as he looked around.

“He wants to move in here when I move out,” he said, “so he we went to to talk to Acxa.”

“Alone?”

“Yeah. Pray for him.”

Shiro laughed. He grabbed a bottle of flavored water from the refrigerator and sat down next to Keith at the island. He looked over the papers scattered across the counter. “So? How do the numbers look?”

“Well,” Keith hummed, “it looks good. If the telemarketing job pays decent, then we should be fine, actually, more than fine. I’m going to scrap the Jeep, I’ll get more for it at the scrapyard then selling it, and take the bus until I find something different.”

“If our hours are close, I can always drive you one way or another,” Shiro offered.

Keith nodded. “That would be nice, too.” He hated the bus.

“What should we do with the second bedroom?” Shiro asked.

Keith tilted his head thouthfully. “We can make it a spare bedroom, so if your mother ever wants to visit.”

Shiro looked at Keith in surprise. “Really?”

He blinked. “Yeah, of course.”

Shiro took Keith’s hand and kissed it. “How about we make it an office, and we have have a futon for guests?”

Keith smiled before he abruptly stood and wiped his hand over his eyes. Shiro straightened before standing. 

“I’m okay,” Keith said when he felt Shiro hovering worriedly behind him. 

He gave Keith his space and leaned back against the counter. He understood how Keith must have been feeling. It was overwhelming, the entire situation, and that wasn’t even incorporating the werewolf thing. Shiro never thought he’d find someone like Keith who made him feel so happy, so complete, and whole. 

Then there was Keith, who had grown up without a mother, with a father who had died, then had been thrown around foster homes before he’d given up on humanity and gone off on his own. After struggling and fighting for years, he finally pulled ahead, only to be nearly eaten alive by a feral werewolf. 

After wiping his face and blowing his nose, Keith went back to the kitchen and said, “I don’t normally cry this much.”

Shiro smiled. “When you’ve locked your feelings away for so long, it can be hard to bottle them back up when they get out.”

 _Fuck, isn’t that the truth._ “These are tears of happiness,” Keith felt the need to clarify.

“I know,” he said with a little chuckle. “Or, I’d hoped so. Unless you suddenly realized you were going to be living with me and all my bad habits.”

“Bad habits,” Keith snorted. “Tell me, what would those be?”

Shiro rubbed his chin in thought. “Well, I snore.”

“Very quietly,” Keith agreed. “Not a bad habit.”

“I get really gassy after Thai food.”

“I remember.”

“I suck at doing the dishes.”

“Then I’ll do them, and you’ll handle the laundry.”

Shiro’s heart thumped and his eyes felt wet. “I like to wake up early on the weekend.”

“That is a problem,” Keith said thoughtfully, “I guess I’ll have to make sure I wear you out every night.”

He laughed and pushed his hand through his white bangs. “And you say I’m the horny one.”

“I guess that’s a point against me?” Keith asked.

“Oh, god no,” Shiro said as he stepped toward him. “No, that is the winning number. You get all the points. The grand-prize.”

“And what’s the grand-prize?”

“My di--”

Keith's phone rang loudly, making them jump. Keith was going to ignore it when he saw it was Lance calling.

 _What could he possibly want?_ He picked up the phone, “Yeah, Lance?”

“Keith! I found out where Sendak lives.”


	15. Whirlwind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Posting a day early because HOW ABOUT SEASON SEVEN GUYS xoxo

Lance hummed as he walked down the busy sidewalk, phone in hand and headphones over his ears. It was a little rainy so he had pulled up the hood of his favorite blue jacket. A blush colored his face as he scrolled through the text conversation he’d had with Allura that morning during their mid-morning breaks. He was close to asking her out, he just needed a little more courage to do it. And the right moment. Pidge was always taunting him for not stepping up and doing it, but he tried to explain to her that he took his time with things that were important and truthfully, he didn’t know how to date a werewolf.

He wanted to ask someone with werewolf experience, but the only werewolves he knew were Keith, Shiro, and Allura. Obviously he couldn’t ask Allura for advice, Shiro was still a new werewolf, and then there was Keith. Well, Lance still wasn’t sure how someone like _Keith_ managed to get someone like _Shiro._ And he’d bet good money that Keith didn’t know how he did either.

He stopped at the crosswalk, waiting for the light to turn, when an obnoxiously loud motorcycle roared up to the red light and screeched to a stop to avoid hitting a truck that was crossing through the intersection. Lance spared the motorcycle a glance, frowning distastefully at the missing paint and bald tires, when he realized that he knew the man riding it.

 _Is that Sendak!?!_ Lance thought with a jolt and dropping his cell phone, which then hung from the cable attached to his headphones. He stood within the group of other pedestrians waiting to cross the road and quickly ducked behind a woman with a large pink umbrella. Peering out from behind her he raised his phone and took a couple of pictures.

It was definitely the werewolf, and he was looking a little rough. His face was bruised and there was a cut on his head that had been bleeding. There was blood on his shirt and knuckles. Lance wondered if it was all his, or if he’d just killed someone.

When the light turned and the crowd started to cross, Lance stayed behind and waited for the light to turn for the other traffic. The moment it was green, Sendak roared through the intersection and Lance ran to follow.

Every light turned red just in time for the werewolf to reach it and he was forced to stop, giving Lance time to catch up and continue to follow him. He thought about calling one of the others, but every time he lifted his phone the light would change and he was running again.

After more blocks than Lance could count, Sendak finally slowed down and turned down a quiet street. He pulled the motorcycle into an alley next to a pawn shop. Lance ducked behind a rusty moving van and watched as the werewolf parked the motorcycle in the alley and took the stairs outside of the shop that lead up to the second floor of the building, which Lance guessed was an apartment.

Crouching behind the tire of the van, Lance raised his phone and started taking pictures of everything, including the pawn shop and street signs. He zoomed in as much as he could on the plates of Sendak’s bike. Then he took several wide shots of the street. He was just thinking that he’d been here far too long, and was way too close to the dangerous werewolf, and was deciding to leave when the door slammed shut. Ducking again, Lance watched from under he van as the werewolf stomped down the stairs and started down the alley and away from the street.

“This is stupid,” Lance muttered to himself as he got up and ran across the street. “I’m so stupid.” 

He peered down the alley as Sendak stomped into the shadows. Biting his lip, his heart hammering in his chest, Lance started to follow him. He glanced up at the apartment door before continuing. The wind was blowing against his face, sending litter whirling around the narrow alley. Lance followed slowly, trying to keep something like a dumpster or trash cans between him and the werewolf, so he could hide if the werewolf turned around.

Lance peered out from behind one of these dumpsters to realize with a start that Sendak was gone. Lance had to swallow his heart back into his chest as he looked around. _Where the hell did it go…_ He wiped his hand through his hair, smearing it with sweat that was building on his forehead. Sneaking out, Lance walked down the alley, until he reached an intersection and heard music coming from a bar that was set up in what looked like an old abandoned mattress factory.

“Did he go in there?” Lance wondered out loud. _Where else could he have gone?_ There were motorcycles parked along the curb and a couple cars. Lance raised his phone, taking several pictures when he was forced to duck when the door opened. He looked out just long enough to verify that it wasn't Sendak, and then sank back against the wall in the shadows.

Having seen enough, Lance turned and jogged back up the alley, glancing back every few steps to make sure he wasn’t being followed. Adrenaline rushed through him and he knew he should keep running. He should run all the way the nearest bus station or home. He shouldn’t be here at all. But when he stopped running he found himself standing at the base of the rickety, iron stairway that went up to the apartment above the pawn shop. His brain was screaming at him to run. His heart was telling him to run. When he pushed his hand through his sweaty hair again it was shaking. He knew he should leave.

Lance darted up the stairs to the apartment door. He looked around for a spare key, and when he didn’t find one, decided to try his luck by just turning the doorknob. 

It opened easily.

Lance stood there, hand still on the doorknob and head turned back, looking down the alley for any signs of the werewolf. He swallowed hard, his mouth dry and his lips raw from being chewed on, and stepped into the apartment.

The first thing that he noticed was that the entire apartment was disgusting, tiny, and one room. The bathroom was only separated from the rest by a shower curtain hanging from the ceiling. The kitchen was just a refrigerator, sink, and microwave; there was a rusted bed frame in the corner with a single mattress and blankets piled on top. The floor looked like it had never been cleaned and he couldn’t tell if it was wood or tile. The ceiling above the ‘bathroom’ was covered in black mold and the kitchen with water stains. There were dents in the walls and…

Lance frowned and his stomach flipped. There were brown stains in one corner, along with sturdy chair that had handcuffs on the arm rests. Lance knew blood residue when he saw it. He took a step back. 

His entire body flinched when he heard laughter and he turned, almost bolting from the apartment before realizing the muffled sound came from the shop just below. Lance pressed his hand over his chest.

Determined not to leave without evidence, he lifted his phone and recorded the apartment as he walked around. He approached an old steel desk against the wall. Other than the bed and torture chair, it looked like the only thing that was ever used. It was dust-free and the chair was relatively new. There were cobwebs hanging from the ceiling above it but not from the desk lamp.

Lance went and looked out the door before quickly returning to the desk. After pulling his sleeve over his hand, so he wouldn't leave fingerprints, he opened the first large drawer. 

“Huh?” he whispered and frowned. With his sleeve still covering his hand he reached down and pulled out a hanging manila folder. He dropped it on the desk and opened it.

His hand remained frozen over the photos that spilled out. At first he thought it was a joke, there was no way it was real. 

Lance leaned down, eyes widened, when he realized that this wasn’t a joke. He covered his mouth and choked.

Each set of photos focused on a person, a werewolf Lance guessed, in different stages of torture, rape, and finally death. To make it worse, there were before photos. Photographs of people going about their everyday lives. Going to work, going home, driving; dancing at a party, sitting on park benches, playing softball with their children--

Lance shoved the photographs back into the folder and dropped it back in the desk. He pulled out a second folder and fearfully opened it.

He found himself staring into his own eyes. 

Lance took a step back, dropping the folder and scattering the photographs. 

Alarms went off in his head and he wheeled around without putting the folder away and ran for it. He sprinted for the door, panic rushing through his veins, when he heard boots stomping up the stairs. With a choke Lance turned, looking around for any place to hide, before he ran to the bed and crawled beneath it.

The door swung open with a loud bang. Lance watched as boots crossed the floor.

“He’s not here,” complained a voice that he didn’t recognize. “What did I just say? He’s not here.”

 _He’s on the phone,_ Lance realized. He scooted back as the boots approached the bed, which creaked in protest as the man sat down.

“How should I know where he is? His bike is out there,” the voice continued, high and agitated. “His place stinks like a human. Maybe he brought home a fresh kill and went to dispose of the remains. What? How should I know? Why would I know that?”

Lance closed his eyes and prayed. _He’s obviously a werewolf. But he doesn’t recognize my scent, so he has to be new. How many of these guys did Sendak have working for him? And where were they coming from?_ He turned his head when he saw something lying on the floor near his hand. He slowly pulled his hand back and leaned forward. 

_Fuck me and my stupid decisions!_ he inwardly screamed as he stared at the scattered human teeth.

Lance was just wondering if he could risk sending a text message when the bed creaked and the man stood. He watched as the boots went over to the desk and stopped.

“This is a bullshit gig,” the werewolf complained loudly, “Zarkon said that Sendak paid well and the rewards would be great. Anyone we wanted to either fuck or kill. But this isn’t what I signed up for. I asked Sendak if I could have a piece of that omega he’s been hunting and you know what he told me? Yeah, that’s exactly what!”

Lance frowned. Zarkon… these guys worked for Zarkon? But why would he loan them out to someone like Sendak?

“Fuck this. I’m going to the bar,” the man barked as he headed for the door. “Maybe he’s there…”

The conversation faded off as the man left and the door slammed behind him. Lance remained where he lay for a few seconds before scrambling out. Going to the window he looked out and saw the man heading down the alley toward the same bar that he had followed Sendak to.

As quietly and carefully as he could, Lance opened the door and took the stairs, one by one, softly, to stop any squeaks from drawing the werewolf’s attention. Once he reached the bottom of the stairs the werewolf was out of sight and Lance turned and ran for it. He nearly collided with two women leaving the pawn shop and didn’t apologize as he ran. When he saw a city bus approaching it’s stop he sprinted for it, waving his hands and yelling for it to wait.

The driver glared at him but held the door. His eyes swept over Lance’s filthy clothing, his blotchy red face and sweaty hair, and his wide eyes. Wrinkling his nose in disgust, the driver slammed the door shut behind him after Lance swiped his metro-card. 

Lance muscled his way to the back of the bus and into a corner where he could talk without being overhead. His eyes swept over the people around him, speculating if any of them were werewolves. He was certain that he smelled like Sendak and yet no one had reacted to his smell, only his filthy, sweaty appearance. He jerked his hood up over his head and sat in the last seat in the corner. He watched out the window, expecting any second for a giant wolf to chase down the bus, or for Sendak to roar up on his motorcycle.

With shaking hands he pulled his phone from his pocket and quickly dialed Keith’s number.

…

“You did what?!” Keith yelled, making Shiro jump.

“What? What happened?” Shiro asked worriedly.

“Hold on, slow down Lance--” Keith said. “Where are you? Okay. Just get here fast.”

Shiro stared at Keith, heart hammering in anticipation. “What happened?”

“Lance tracked Sendak back to his apartment,” Keith said as he pinched the bridge of his nose and then shook his head. “He--he _went into_ his home. He said he found something, that he got pictures on his phone. He's on a bus now and didn’t want to talk about it with so many other people around.”

Shiro threw his hand up in disbelief. “Does he know how stupid that was?!”

“Do you know how stupid Lance can be?” Keith replied. He paced around the apartment, agitation rushing through him. He and Lance might not get along by any means, but that didn’t mean he seriously wanted the man to be ripped apart by someone like Sendak. He shook his head, pulling at strands of his hair until his it was out of its ponytail and he was forced pull it back into a tight bun.

Just before Lance arrived Hunk returned with clean laundry and good news (if Keith moved out, he could move in) but all that fell away when Keith told him what Lance had done.

Hunk’s hands were shaking, and when the door opened and Lance walked in, he grabbed him by his jacket and jerked him off his feet and across the floor. “You idiot!” he shouted as tears sprang to his eyes.

Lance stumbled and grabbed Hunk’s shoulders for support. “Hunk!?”

“You’re so stupid! Do you know you could have died?!” Hunk’s voice was loud and pitched with fear. His dark eyes were wide and his tan skin flushed. “He could have killed you and we would have _never found you._ Lance! Don’t ever--ever do that again!”

Lance, eyes huge and mouth open in surprise, nodded shakily. “I won’t--I know it was stupid. Hunk. Hunk, I’m _sorry_ ,” Slowly he closed his arms around his friend and hugged him. “I’m sorry. Calm down.” Hunk hugged him back, hard and suffocating. Lance stroked his fingers through his thick hair. “I’m sorry…”

Shiro watched the two quietly. He had had a few choice words to throw at Lance himself, but after watching Hunk’s meltdown and Lance’s reaction to it, thought better of it. The fear in Lance’s eyes was enough. He knew what he had done was stupid. “Lance,” he said calmly, “what did you find?”

Lance, prying himself out of Hunk’s arms, patted him on the shoulder before going into the living room and collapsing on the sofa. The two werewolves immediately recoiled at his scent. “I hoped you would react that way,” he said as Hunk plopped down next to him with a box of tissues and cleaned up his face and blew his nose loudly. “No one else on the bus did. They… must have been human, right?”

“Maybe,” Shiro said. “But you’re here now, and you’re safe.”

“Tell us what happened,” Keith demanded sharply as he sat with his arms crossed and jaw clenched.

“Okay. Okay here… here’s what happened.” As he told his story, starting with him following Sendak through the city and to the apartment above the pawn shop, he showed the photos he had taken with his phone, along with the video of the inside of the apartment. But when he started to tell them about the desk, he stuttered and went quiet. His face paled and he shook his head. 

“I-I found something in there,” he whispered.

Hunk, sensing Lance’s sudden fear, put his arm around Lance and sat closer. “It’s okay. You’re safe here with us.”

“What did you find?” Shiro asked gently.

Lance frowned ran his hand through his filthy hair. “Sendak has… He has folders of photographs of the people he’s stalked and killed. Lots of people. Dozens of people and… and there was a folder... “ he closed his eyes, “of us.”

Keith flinched and Shiro straightened. “What?” they said together.

“I opened a folder and I saw a photo of myself. I was at work, in scrubs. It had to have been taken just the other day, because I wear certain colors on certain days and… when I dropped it, other photos came out. Of all of us.”

Hunk started to sweat. “Everyone?”

“Everyone but Allura,” he confirmed. “He must not… know about her…”

Keith stood and started to pace, flexing his hands in and out of fists. Shiro looked calm and collected, but inside he was a whirling fire of rage. He looked at Keith as he paced, then back to Hunk and Lance who were pale and reasonably shaken.

“Guys,” Hunk suddenly said, “Guys! Sendak is going to know that Lance was in there!”

“Shit,” Shiro grunted. “That other werewolf may not have known your scent, but Sendak will.”

“How long does it take for someone’s scent to go away?” Lance asked worriedly. 

Keith shrugged. “I honestly don’t know… It all depends on the person and the wolf.” 

“The police are looking for whoever killed the mail lady,” Hunk pointed out, “Keith, you described Sendak to them?”

“I did.”

“Maybe we can call the police and send them to Sendak’s apartment!”

Keith straightened and looked at Shiro. “That’s… actually a good idea,” Shiro said. “What do you think, Keith?”

Normally he may have been against the idea, afraid of exposing a werewolf to human officials, but this was far beyond out of control. He nodded and went to get the detective's calling card from where he had left it sitting on the kitchen counter. He handed it to Lance. “Go for it.”

The trio sat, listening intently as Lance called the police detective and gave him a detailed description of Sendak and directions to his apartment, but he left out certain details, not wanting to give away that he had been in the apartment. He left them his name and number before hanging up.

“You know what this means,” Lance said, looking at all of them, “they’re going to find the photos of us.”

Shiro’s hand landed on Keith's thigh and gently squeezed. “Whatever happens next… We’ll just have to deal with it the best that we can,” the alpha said.

“What if… what if there’s… werewolf evidence?” Hunk asked nervously.

“We’ll come up with something,” Shiro said confidently. “Is Pidge home yet?”

“No,” Lance said, “she text earlier when I was at work. She has some all-night gaming marathon or something.”

“I think you should stay the night here then,” Shiro suggested. “Until Sendak is captured, we’re safer in a group.”

Lance looked at Keith. “That okay with you?”

Keith pursed his lips before exhaling. “Yeah, it’s fine.”

“Promise me that you two won’t have sex while Hunk and I are just outside the door,” Lance muttered.

Keith wrinkled his nose and scowled at him. “Get out.”

…

Shiro walked into the bedroom and closed the door behind him. Keith was sitting on the bed, legs crossed and arms around himself as he gazed out the window. Shiro tilted his head before walking up to the bed. “Keith?”

“Hm?” he asked as, turning his attention to Shiro and tilting his head up.

“If the police catch Sendak, it doesn’t mean that any of this is over,” he said. “Or that any of us are safe.”

“I know,” Keith sighed. “And if what Lance said is true about Zarkon, then Sendak will be out soon.”

Shiro frowned worriedly. “Why is Zarkon doing this? What does he have to gain?”

“Maybe he’s a monster, too,” Keith murmured. 

“It seems like a lot of powerful alphas end up that way,” Shiro said softly.

Keith looked at him. “But not you,” he said, his voice holding no room for debate.

Shiro dropped onto the bed and rolled onto his back, staring up at Keith. He touched his face and tucked his hair behind his ear. Keith sat patiently, looking down at him, only shifting when Shiro’s hand dragged slowly down his chest and to his inner thigh. He rubbed his hand over the front of Keith’s boxers and then slid it up his shirt, over his chest.

“Mm,” Keith sighed as he closed his eyes. He leaned into the touch. Shiro’s large hand continued to touch him, stroking down his back and beneath the waistband of his boxers, then over his ribs and across his stomach. He then reached up, touching his thumb to Keith’s lower lip. Keith kissed it.

Shiro wrapped his arm around the young omega and dragged across his body, not stopping until Keith’s knees were spread wide and on either side of Shiro's head. Shiro then leaned up, nuzzling the front of Keith’s boxers, please to find that he was already half-hard and smelling delicious. “Come here, baby,” Shiro groaned as he pulled Keith’s erection from his boxers and raised his head to take it in his mouth.

Keith grabbed the headboard in surprise and moaned roughly. 

Remembering they had guests he tried to muffle his moans, but it was hard with Shiro purposely doing things to make him loud. Because licking and sucking weren’t enough, his hand had shoved Keith’s boxers down squeezed his ass before his fingers were rubbing and pushing up into him. 

“Goddamn it… Shiro…” Keith gasped roughly as he moved his hips. Beneath him Shiro groaned hungrily. “Fuck! That’s… so good…”

Shiro answered him with a low groan as he sloppily sucked. Drool dribbled from his mouth but he didn’t care. He lifted his head, easily taking all of Keith’s cock until his nose touched fabric. Keith let out a deep whine which ended in the desperate plea of Shiro’s name.

He huffed around Keith’s cock as he buried his fingers deeper into him. His own cock twitched to life, eager to be buried back inside Keith’s perfect, plump little ass. He pumped his fingers in and out, which cause Keith to let out an especially loud cry.

The he leaned back, dragging his lips and tongue over his erection before taking it in his mouth again. He fell into a rhythm.

Keith’s body shook and then thrust as he muffled a series of sharp cries into his arm. Shiro was merciless, sucking hard and working his fingers in deep. It was too much, and Keith came with a hushed cry. Beneath him Shiro didn’t stop sucking until he heard Keith’s whimpers from overstimulation and he was pulling away.

“Mm,” Shiro groaned as he let his head fall back into the pillows. He pulled his hand from Keith’s boxers and watched as his mate sat heavily down across his chest, his face blushed and hair sweaty. Shiro licked his lips and smirked up at the exhausted omega.

“That was fun,” Shiro snickered.

“You’re horrible,” Keith laughed breathlessly. He ran his hands up Shiro's broad chest and leaned down to kiss him.

On the nightstand next to the bed Shiro’s phone beeped and he frowned. With the day they had had he decided not to ignore it, and reached for it. “It’s from Lance…” he said. He swiped his thumb over it and snorted. “That little shit.”

“What’s it say?” Keith asked as he leaned forward to read it.

**Lance (12:05am) We can hear you.**

“Get out of my apartment!” Keith shouted as he turned his head toward the door. A growl rumbled in his chest.

“I said no sex!” Lance answered from the living room.

“Get out, Lance!” Keith snarled back.

Beneath him, Shiro’s body trembled with laughter. Keith shook his head and lowered himself onto the man, stretched out over his strong body. Shiro wrapped his arm around him and held him close. Keith kissed at his neck before reaching for the blankets and covering them as he tucked himself against his mate.

“Well, there went the mood,” Shiro chuckled. 

Keith yawned and sighed. “I’ll make it up to you tomorrow…”

He looked down at Keith as the omega slowly slumped against him, eyes closed and lips parted. He was asleep in just a few seconds, burrowed perfectly against Shiro with the man’s arm around him. He was just closing his eyes when the phone beeped again. Shiro carefully reached for the phone without waking Keith. The text message was from Hunk.

**Hunk (12:15am) There was breaking new about the arrest of a suspected serial killer!**

…

“Did you hear?!” Lance crowed loudly when Shiro left the bedroom that morning. “They arrested him!”

“Hunk text me last night,” he said as he crossed to the kitchen for the coffee pot. “What did the news say?”

“They’re not saying a whole lot, just that they arrested a man who was a suspect in a string of murders and rapes, and that they found overwhelming evidence against him,” Lance broadcast as he brushed his hair and styled it for work. After walking Hunk out to the car he was leasing he had gone back to up to Pidge’s to shower and change his clothes. With Sendak’s arrest all over the Aris Morning News he was feeling a lot better about everything and couldn’t wait to go to work.

Shiro sipped his coffee as he stood in front of the television which was currently covering the “suspected serial killer arrest.” The police weren’t releasing any names or photographs, and there was only live coverage from the street outside the pawn shop. However the news reporter had taken one photograph of the same motorcycle Lance had shown them, and there was a photo of the inside of the apartment from before Sendak rented it, probably from an advertisement online. The owners of the pawn shop were also in police custody, but were not suspects at this time.

“Oh, and um, sorry about last night,” Lance said as he fiddled with his scrub-top

Shiro turned and glared playfully at the human. “Yeah, way to ruin the moment, Lance.”

Lance blushed up to his ears as he tried to not think too much about Shiro _in the moment._ “It’s what I do best.”

“Go to work.”

“Roger,” he said as he grabbed his phone and his travel mug. 

Knowing Keith had the day off, Shiro decided to let him sleep in and instead made himself busy by cleaning up the apartment. Hunk was good at keeping his space clean, but Lance, not so much, and when the two of them were together they seemed to forget all their manors. He whistled as he moved around the apartment, and opened the windows to let in some fresh morning air. He had just text Allura about the news when the bedroom door opened and Keith shambled out.

Shiro smiled. “Good morning, bedhead.”

Keith, not caring that his hair was a disaster and his eyes were still half-closed, shuffled up to Shiro with a yawn and pressed his face against his chest and wrapped his arms around him. “Morning,” he mumbled.

“It’s almost eleven,” Shiro laughed, “you can’t tell me that you’re still tired.”

“I could sleep all day,” Keith confessed. He wanted to remain draped over Shiro, face nestled into his chest, but the coffee pot was calling his name. He stepped away and into the kitchen and poured himself a cup. “Where is everyone?”

“Work,” Shiro said. “The police arrested Sendak last night.”

Keith coughed on his drink and rubbed his chest. “What?” he squeaked.

“Yeah,” he said with a grin. “It’s all over the TV. Suspected serial killer. Mass murderer. Serial rapist. Stalker. You name it.”

Keith blinked and turned, trying to process the information. “I wonder how long he’ll be in there?”

“I don’t know, but we’re going to use this time to our advantage,” Shiro said as he watched Keith step into the morning sunlight spilling in the window.

“And do what?” he asked.

“Prepare ourselves,” Shiro said, “Because you know when he gets out he’s going to be pissed.”

Keith, drinking his coffee slowly, nodded in agreement. “Very pissed. He hasn’t made bail yet?”

“No, not yet,” Shiro said. He crossed to Keith and leaned down to nuzzle his ear. “I’m sure it won’t take long, so we should watch for any breaking news.”

“Or anyone breaking down the door,” Keith said with a yawn as he leaned into Shiro’s touches.

He snorted. “Well, it would be easier to kill him if he would just show up with us here,” he said. “Anyway. I was going to run down the store. Do you want to come with?”

“Naw,” Keith said. “It’s too early to go outside.”

Shiro barked a laugh. “I’ll make a morning person out of you yet, Keith.”

“I decided we can’t live together.”

He laughed again. He purposely pressed an annoyingly wet kiss against Keith’s cheek before grabbing his wallet, keys and phone. There wasn’t a lot that they needed, Hunk usually made sure the refrigerator and cabinets were well-stocked, but Shiro had noticed that the coffee can was down to its last grounds when he made a second pot, and he had a craving for ice cream, something that never stayed in the freezer long.

The temperature was already in the lower eighties and the sun was bright and blinding when Shiro stepped outside. He plucked his sunglasses from where they were folded on the collar of his t-shirt and put them on. He knew it was stupid, but he felt lighter, knowing that Sendak was currently in jail and being drilled by the FBI, CIA, hell maybe even the agents from Area 51. Shiro didn’t care. As long as that monster was behind bars his pack would be safe. He didn’t think that Sendak’s hired wolves would do anything while their boss was in jail. They were motivated by money and that was hard to get when your boss’s assets were frozen.

Instead of stopping at the usual market on the corner, he continued to walk, wanting to stretch his legs and enjoy the sun on his face. His phone told him that there was another grocery store just a mile to the East, so he headed that way. He swept his thumb over the phone screen.

**Shiro (11:39am) If you’re still awake, what kind of ice cream would you like?**

**Keith (11:39am) Of course I’m still awake.**

**Keith (11:39am) Anything with caramel.**

In reply Shiro snapped a selfie, his eyes were squinty in the sun and the brightness made his white forelock shine and his scar stand out, but he didn’t care. Keith didn’t care about any of that. He hummed as he pocketed his phone and started across a short pedestrian bridge that took him over the river. He glanced over at the rushing water, shining blue in the morning light.

He was halfway over the bridge when he caught the heavy, woodsy scent of werewolf. He slowed down before stopping completely. Other than Keith and Allura; Sendak and his goons, he had never smelled another werewolf before. He looked behind him and then ahead again. Approaching him were three young man. They were strutting along at a brisk pace, wearing cut-off shirts and backwards caps. Shiro had to resist rolling his eyes.

 _Someone is trying to look tough,_ he thought to himself. He started to walk again, intending on passing them without incident, when the wind shifted and they caught his scent. Two stopped cold and the third slowed his steps, watching Shiro closely with narrowed eyes. Shiro tilted his head and sniffed the air. The two standing back were beta wolves, and the man in front with the awful bleached-blond hair and orange sunglasses was a young, very weak alpha.

Shiro frowned. The information just came to him by looking into their eyes and smelling them; he knew instantly what they were. It reminded him of a video game when you faced an opponent and a bubble popped up with their stats. He rested his hand on his hip and stood staring at them. The two betas stepped back, but the young alpha snorted and stomped forward.

“Who are you?” Blondie barked as he looked at Shiro’s missing arm. “This is my bridge!”

“Do you live under it?” Shiro asked with a glare.

“What? No--fuck you!” Blondie snarled. “No werewolves pass over this bridge without paying the toll.”

“How about I let you live?” Shiro asked calmly. “Is that good?”

“Trace, man, let him pass--”

“Shut up!” the young alpha barked to the men behind him. “This is my bridge and he’ll pay the toll just like all the other bitches.”

Shiro cracked a grin. Inside something started to churn, a dangerous hunger for violence and blood. He tilted his head and the younger alpha stepped back in surprise. “Yes, Trace, listen to your friends. Go on about your business and no one gets hurt.”

The young alpha sniffed before glancing back at his pack again. They urged him to retreat but instead he growled and whipped back to Shiro. “You’re the one that’s going to get hurt.” He hesitated only slightly before running at him, teeth flashing in the sunlight.

Shiro resisted rolling his eyes. During his time in the military he had dealt with plenty of young guns who thought they were tough-shit. Eventually they had all realized that they were very small fish in a very large ocean; whether it was by getting their ass kicked by other recruits, or through the horror of war. Shiro waited for the young man to get close enough to swing at him, and he grabbed his arm, twisted it behind him, and thrust him over the side of the bridge.

Behind him the two beta wolves yelled in shock, running forward. They stopped when they realized that Shiro hadn’t actually thrown their friend to his death. Instead Shiro held the young man easily over the side of the bridge, just shy of the guard rail. Shiro smirked, showing his sharp teeth. Beneath the sunglasses his eyes burned bright.

Shiro smirked down at him. “Do you submit?”

“Yes!” Blondie yelped. “Let me up! I’m sorry, man! Let me up!”

Shiro flexed and hauled him back over the railing, depositing him on the ground. He stood over the young alpha, satisfaction rolling through his body. The man was scared and easily submitting, baring no teeth at him and if he had a tail, it would be up between his legs. Shiro allowed him to scramble back to his friends. “And you guys?” Shiro asked them.

“W-We submit! We’re sorry!” shouted one of the men.

“Yeah, totally sorry--we’ll never come here again. It’s all yours,” said the other.

The young alpha was staring at Shiro with huge eyes. “You-you did that… with one hand…”

“Be thankful I don’t have two,” Shiro growled. “Get lost.”

Not needing to be told twice, the group ran down the opposite way. Shiro laughed after they were out of sight.

_That was kind of fun._

…

Keith was lounging on the couch, still his pajamas, when the door swung open and Shiro stepped in. He peered over the back of the couch. The man was carrying two grocery bags in his his hand and looked warm from his walk. “What did you get?”

“Coffee, ice cream, and a couple steaks,” Shiro said as he headed into the kitchen. “Uh, is Hunk home?”

“Nope, he’s working,” Keith said. He tilted his head. There was something different. Shiro’s energy was up, Keith could feel it in the room. “Did something happen?”

“Hm?” Shiro replied. “Oh, I just ran into some other wolves. One of them tried to challenge me into a fight.”

Keith sat up. Shiro didn’t have a scratch on him, but that wasn’t surprising. “What did you do?”

“I um, kind of hung their alpha off the pedestrian bridge,” Shiro said as he glanced at Keith.

“What?!” he yelped.

“I wanted to fight them,” Shiro admitted, “but… scaring the shit out of them worked, too. And it was less bloody.”

Keith watched Shiro as the man sat on the couch next to him. He could smell the heavy scent of arousal and bit his lip to stop from grinning. Of course the fight had been a turn on for him. He leaned back, feet on the coffee table. He pretended not to notice. “That’s good. You taught them a good lesson not to mess with someone bigger than themselves.”

Shiro eyed him. “Uh-huh.”

Keith resisted looking at him, his focus on the television. “So what kind of ice cream did you get me?”

“I think it’s caramel-honey-vanilla or something like that,” Shiro said. He glared at Keith, who was purposely ignoring him. Fine, two could play this game. He shifted, tugging off his shirt and dropped it on the coffee table. “Ugh, it’s hot out there.”

 _Damn it._ His eyes were immediately drawn to the sweaty alpha next to him. He was leaning back, his muscles still tight with adrenaline and shining with sweat; heady pheromones rolled off his body and fogged the air between them. Shiro ran his hand down his stomach and rested his hand over his groin. Keith’s eyes narrowed. “Mm-hm,” he hummed.

“Did Hunk do the laundry last? It feels like my pants shrank,” he said as he palmed himself.

Keith rolled his eyes. “Wow. Is that your dirty, seduction talk? Because that’s horrible.”

“It got you looking, didn’t it?” Shiro asked with a roguish grin.

“Yeah, because I have eyes,” Keith said with a blush as he gestured to Shiro’s body.

“Fine, if you know it all, then why don’t you teach me how to dirty talk?”

He snorted. “That would be a no.” Not that he knew how.

“Hm,” Shiro thought. “So if I said I wanted to fuck you hard? Would that suffice?”

“Isn’t that just a statement?”

“I want you screaming my name as I fuck you on your knees, dirty and hot and sweaty, and when you’ve had as much as you can, I’ll open you up and take you again,” he growled.

It almost worked. For a moment Keith felt hot and his body ached and he wanted to lay back and submit, but Shiro was working _so_ hard at keeping a serious face and that just didn’t fit him. Keith choked and started to laugh.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Shiro grumbled as he stood and grabbed his shirt and stomping away.

“No! I didn’t mean it!” Keith laughed from the couch. “Come back!” When Shiro didn’t answer he got up to find him. He followed his scent to the bedroom. “Shiro?”

He was tackled from behind onto the bed. He let out a surprised yelp before it registered that it was Shiro over him. Rolling over beneath the powerful man that was hovering over him, he grabbed Shiro by the hair jerked him down for a hard kiss.

Shiro kissed him back roughly before mouthing down his neck, leaving bruises behind. No matter how many times they were intimate his thirst for Keith never wavered. He made short work of Keith’s boxers and shirt before rolling him into his stomach.

Keith grunted as Shiro kissed down his spine while his hand found its way under him and fondled. He let out a sharp sound and rutted down into the sheets, breath coming in harsh pants as he gripped the mussed bed sheets.

Unfortunately Shiro needed his hand for the next step. He placed an apologetic kiss to Keith’s lower back as he abandoned his erection in favor of the lube. He twisted off the lid with his teeth. 

It was all so familiar now, it was like they had been doing this for years. Keith spread his knees and lifted his ass ever so slightly and muffled his moans into the bed even though they were alone at this moment. Shiro’s large fingers entered him, spread him, opening him up with gentle caresses that left him wanting _so much more._ He trembled, body heating a heightened degree and blood boiling. Keith whined, his heavy scent filling the air, urging his mate to hurry. Behind him Shiro growled, intoxicated by Keith’s aromatic spice, which spoke to his very animal core.

When they moved together there was always those first few moments when breaths were caught and bodies throbbed. Keith’s back trembled and he grabbed the sheets, whimpering as his body stretched to accommodate the much larger alpha. Then Shiro was moving, leaning over Keith’s back, leaving bruising on his neck and his shoulders as he worked in and out of him. Shiro would growl, and Keith would whine.

Afterwards, basking in the afterglow, Keith lay across Shiro’s chest, leaving little kisses on his neck and chest, while Shiro caressed his hand through Keith’s long, sweaty hair and caught his lips whenever he was given the chance.

“I was thinking,” Shiro said against Keith’s skin.

Keith, relaxed and warm, hummed. “About?”

“When all this is done, I want to go back out to that farm. Just me and you. Only this time I want us to have fun. I want to do… all those wolf things, without either of us being nervous around the other.” Shiro stroked his hand up and down Keith’s back and down to cup his ass. “And maybe I’ll lay my kill at your feet.”

Keith’s entire body cringed and his lips stopped kissing.

“What’s wrong?” Shiro asked in alarm.

Keith leaned up to look him in the face. “Nothing really. It's just that Sendak said the exact same thing to me. Right before he hunted you.”

Shiro frowned. His hand continued to stroke over Keith’s back and down over his ass. “It has to be a wolf thing,” he reasoned. “It was aII I wanted to do during that first moon. Only I, uh…”

“Couldn’t catch a rabbit,” Keith said with a little smile. 

“I’m going to catch and kill Sendak for you,” he said with a fierce expression. “That is the only kill worthy of you.”

Keith blushed, feeling strangely turned-on by the vow. “And after all that’s behind us?”

“Then our life together can finally begin.”


	16. Hunt

“Well, that was one way to spend two hours,” Lance said as he and Hunk left the theater.

Hunk shrugged. “I liked it.”

“Of course you did,” Lance said with a chuckle as he shoved his hands in the pockets of his coat. It was Saturday night and for once it wasn’t raining and it wasn’t humid. Lance looked up at the sky, where a half-moon shined down. 

Hunk followed his gaze up and then smirked. “Thinking of Allura?”

Lance blushed. “No.”

“Shiro?”

Lance snorted. “I think Shiro is spoken for,” he sighed. “It would have been a good time, though.”

“Me?” Hunk joked.

He looped his arm around Hunk’s neck and leaned into kiss his cheek. “Always.”

“So, Allura?” Hunk said as he bumped Lance’s shoulder as they walked. “You loooove her.”

“I like her,” Lance clarified. “She’s… amazing. I mean, she’s absolutely gorgeous, but she’s just--amazing. She was texting me the other night about her job and I mean, she’s like, a hero or something. And she can play WoW better than Pidge.”

Hunk chuckled. “That’s saying something. So why haven’t you asked her out?”

Lance sighed. “Because… I’m not good enough for her, Hunk.”

Hunk frowned. “What?”

“Look at me,” Lance said as he held his arms out as they walked, “I’m dashing, sure. Handsome? Absolutely. Fit and smart. Yes, yes I am. But look at her… and look at… werewolf guys. Not Keith, obviously. But someone like Shiro. Isn’t that who she should be with? Some big… monster of a man who can like. I don’t know what.”

Hunk patted Lance’s shoulder. “You’re thinking about this way too much.”

“So what, I should just, ask her out?”

“Yeah.”

“Your saying I should just ask her out?”

“Yes. That is what I’m saying.”

“Just… walk up her and say, ‘Allura, will you go out with me?’”

“Perfect, exactly like that.”

“All right, fine. I’ll do it. And when she turns me down… I’ll…”

Hunk laughed softly. “You’ll continue to be her friend.”

Behind them there was a gagging sound. “Ugh, this is making me sick. Can we just kill them?”

Hunk stumbled and Lance grabbed his arm in surprise. The two turned around to face the men who had been following them. Lance looked around and realized they were very much alone before he focused on the glowing eyes in front of them. “Hunk--”

“You’re supposed to be in jail--” Hunk gasped as Sendak lowered the hood of his coat. “They-they arrested you!”

Sendak laughed. “Did they, Prorok?” he said to the man next to him. 

“Hm, I don’t remember that happening,” the other man said with a sneer. His teeth were sharp.

“I thought Morvok was useless, but it turned out, he was very useful. Taking the fall like that, such a dedicated soldier,” Sendak said as he stepped forward, slowly stalking the two humans. “I give you credit for calling the police on me. That was a gutsy move.”

Lance gulped as Sendak approached him. “Ho-How do you know it was me?” he stuttered.

Sendak took a deep breath and growled. “Like I would forget your scent, _Lance._ ”

Lance’s entire body froze and a chill crawled up his spine. He felt himself start to shake. “You know… my name...”

“I know all your names,” Sendak laughed. “And maybe, by the end of the night, you’ll be screaming mine.”

Hunk glanced at Lance’s ashen face before he yelled, “Lance, run!” and threw a punch at Sendak.

…

Keith shuffled out the door, sweaty and dirty, and exhausted after his third fourteen-hour day in a row. It was too late to get a bus, so he pulled out his phone to find a ride, when a car flashed their headlights at him. Keith looked up and tilted his head before his phone beeped.

**Shiro (11:36pm) Your chariot awaits.**

He jogged to the waiting car with a smile on his face. He dropped into the passenger seat of Shiro’s Dodge. “Did I tell you that I love you?” Keith asked as he relaxed into the plush seat.

Shiro laughed softly. “You did before you left this afternoon, but I don’t mind hearing it again.”

He leaned over the seat to kiss the other man. “Mm, I love you.”

“This is for you,” he said as he gestured to the take-out bag and plastic cup in the cupholder. “I thought you’d be hungry.”

Keith blushed and grabbed the bag, opening it. Inside was a box of take-out from his favorite Chinese restaurant. He hummed happily and opened the box and grabbed the chopsticks and dug into the spicy chicken and vegetables.

Shiro smiled. Warmth spread through him as he glanced at Keith, eating happily and listening to the radio as they drove toward home. While Keith had been working Shiro had been in the process of moving out of his apartment. Lance, Hunk and Pidge had all been great help. They were still waiting on Acxa about the apartment (according to Keith the landlord did things at her own pace and couldn’t be rushed) but Shiro had decided to already started moving out. He had rented a moving van to keep everything in until Acxa contacted them, and what he wasn’t keeping he was bringing to the Good Will.

“What?” Keith asked with a mouthful of food.

“Huh?”

“You keep looking at me,” he said with a blush.

“It just… makes me happy to see you happy,” Shiro explained.

Keith shook his head. He wondered if the reason Shiro was so tall and wide was because his heart was simply too big for his chest. It boggled Keith’s mind that someone as sweet and loving as Shiro was also such an intimidating alpha wolf. But maybe that’s why it worked? Shiro could easily become a monster like Sendak, or even someone like Zarkon, but instead he was the sweetest, nerdiest man that Keith had ever met.

“Now you’re staring,” Shiro laughed.

Keith swallowed the bite of chicken. “Oh, I was just thinking…” he started to say when his phone rang. He shifted and pulled it out of his pocket. When he saw it was Lance he grumbled and reached for his tea, taking a long drink before answering. “Yeah, Lance?”

Only silence answered him. Keith frowned and held the phone away from his face to make sure they were connected. He glanced at Shiro, before holding the phone back to his ear. “Lance? You there?” He listened closely, but all he heard was breathing, and then the call ended. “That’s weird…” Lance was a lot of things, but he didn’t pull stupid phone pranks.

Then Shiro’s phone rang. The alpha frowned and pulled the car to the curb. After putting it in Park he picked up his phone. Meeting Keith’s eyes he answered, “Hunk? You okay?” But he was greeted with nothing but silence. A cold tingle of fear trickled up Shiro’s spine. He looked at Keith, who had gone pale and was gripping the phone with white knuckles.

“Hunk?” he repeated, a bit more forceful this time. “Hunk, where are you?”

From the passenger seat Keith’s heart started to pound. A horrible feeling crawled over him and he felt nauseous. “Shiro, something is wrong--”

“Hello, Shirogane,” finally answered a rumbling, smug voice.

Shiro put the phone on speaker and turned to Keith. “Sendak,” he growled. 

_Why isn’t he in jail?_ Keith wondered with widened eyes and quickened pulse. Unless-- _unless_ the police hadn’t arrested Sendak. Lance had said that there had been another werewolf in the apartment. Was it possible that it was one of Sendak’s goons? He let out a strangled sound. _How are we all so fucking stupid?!_

“I’m having a little party with your human friends,” Sendak purred. “We had to start without the shapeshifter. There was an accident.” There was the sound of rough laughter in the background. Sendak wasn’t alone.

Keith’s breath hitched and he quickly dialed Pidge’s number. When she didn’t answer he dialed again and again, but she never answered. He then sat, phone clutched between his hands, eyes wide and furious but wet with tears and stared at Shiro. The alpha was tense and his muscles bulging. His eyes were black and Keith could see that his fingernails had curled into black claws. His overwhelming presence filled the car, making it hard to breathe, and Keith almost got out. Shiro’s anger wasn’t directed at him, but it was hard not to feel the weight of an angry alpha pressing on his shoulders and making him weak.

“Give them back to me, Sendak,” Shiro demanded, voice harsh.

“Don’t worry, champion,” the werewolf laughed, “I’ll give you a fighting chance.”

Outside the car window the sight of the moon caught his attention. Shiro frowned. “It’s not the full moon yet. The two months isn’t up.”

“You changed the game,” Sendak replied with a sneer, “I have to admit, that was a bold move for you and your pack. But it failed, and now I’ve made a preemptive strike of my own. Whether or not you can transform is up to you. No matter what you do, all this will end with my teeth around your neck.”

“Then come for me!” Shiro shouted, the pure volume of his voice making the car shake and Keith cover his ears. “Let the others go! Come here, right now, and we’ll end this!”

“Where is the fun in that?” laughed the other alpha.

“This isn’t a game, you fucker!” he continued to yell.

“Of course it is,” Sendak laughed. “That’s all this has ever been! A game of cat and mouse. Hunter and prey. And I am the ultimate hunter, Shirogane. I have never had a prey I didn’t catch and break in the end. Even your delicious little mate will be mine. And I’ve been thinking it over, Champion. Maybe I’ll break my own rules, and I’ll keep--”

The phone in Shiro’s hand cracked and broke, ending the call. Shiro flinched and Keith let out a gasp.

“Shit,” Shiro growled. He looked at Keith, who was staring at him with an anxious expression. “Keith. What do we do?”

“We have to find them,” Keith gasped as he caught his breath. He looked at the phone in his hand, waiting for it ring, but Sendak didn’t call back. Keith shook his head and tried to get his shaking under control. “Let’s go.”

“Where?” Shiro asked as he started the car, ready to follow Keith’s instructions.

“Do you happen to know where they had gone to tonight?” he asked. He felt sick, but more than that, was the anger growing inside him. Sendak had taken their pack, and they knew what the man was capable of. There was no way in hell he was going to let anyone else be hurt or die because of him. He started to shake for an entirely different reason.

“The movies,” Shiro recalled, remembering Hunk and Lance debating over what they wanted to see. “I don’t know which theater.”

“The Magnolia Theater on Q Street,” Keith immediately answered. “It’s the only one Lance will go to.” Using his phone’s GPS he pulled up the directions and told Shiro where to go. Then he called Allura. She didn’t answer, which was no surprise, she was working late shifts all this week, so he left her a message about what happened, where they were going, and that she needed to be careful. Lance hadn’t thought Sendak knew about the she-wolf, but they needed to stop underestimating him.

A heavy scent suddenly filled the interior of the car. Shiro glanced at Keith, who was sitting with his hands on his knees and his head bowed. He frowned, mouth opening, when he saw Keith’s skin _move._ He took a deep breath, the smell of old magic and wolf clogging his senses. Then Keith was undoing his seatbelt and crawling into the backseat.

“Keith?!” Shiro yelped. “What are you doing?”

“I’m going to change,” he said as he stripped out of his clothing. Thank God Shiro’s car had tinted windows. “I can track better.”

Shiro glanced him in the rear-view mirror. He wanted to watch, he’d never seen Keith transform before. In the morning after the Moon had set Shiro had been wrapped up in his own screaming pain to notice what Keith was going through. Now he couldn’t spare more than a few glances to the back as Keith became a wolf. The sickening sound of breaking and crunching bones filled the car, along with Keith’s heavy breathing and several sharp cries. The real shock was how fast it was.

“You… you’re a lot bigger than I remember,” Shiro stammered as he looked back. Keith’s eyes reflected light back at him, white and glowing. It made Shiro wonder just how big _he_ was when he was a wolf. He tried to remember when he stood next to the Jeep, and in the barn and the house, but he hadn’t even thought to pay attention to his size. Keith was larger than any wild grey wolf, but built quite differently. Limber and lean and built for speed and not the hunt.

It was quiet. Shiro frowned and glanced back. “We can’t talk to each other, can we?”

The black wolf shook his head. He turned his attention to the window, ears perked and nose sniffing at the air.

Shiro parked the car as close to the theater as he could and got out of the car. He looked around before opening the back door for Keith. Any normal city-dweller would look at Keith and hopefully just see a massive dog, and not a wolf or werewolf. He could lie, pass Keith off as his wolf-dog. It would be the only way to explain his size and build. But it was also past midnight, even the late shows at the theater were out. The streets were eerily quiet and empty. Trash and leaves skittered across the ground with the wind, echoing up and down alleys and off parked cars. Shiro exhaled.

The black wolf stepped out of the car and turned to Shiro. He tilted his head, ears perked, violet eyes locked on the man. Slowly his tail wagged and Shiro, unable to stop himself, dropped his hand onto the wolf’s black fur. “You’re so soft,” he said with a grin and leaning down. “Look how beautiful you are.”

The wolf rolled his eyes and bumped his head against Shiro’s chin before turning. He dropped his nose to the ground, sniffing. Shiro followed behind him, head tilted up. He could smell dozens of humans, the stale remains of popcorn and cigarette smoke, women’s perfumes. He turned to Keith just as the wolf bolted. 

With a gasp Shiro sprinted after him. Even though Shiro spent time at the gym and running at the park he wasn’t able to keep up with Keith, but he didn’t need to be right behind the wolf, he just needed to keep him in sight. His lungs and legs burned, but he pushed himself harder. They left the lights of the main road behind them and were running down a darker area. Shiro was wondering just why Hunk and Lance would come here, when he saw a diner ahead of them, dark and closed for the night. Was this where they had been headed to before being snatched?

Ahead of him, Keith had stopped running and was following a scent trail. Hunk and Lance’s scent intermingled with that of aggressive werewolves. The smell of fear still hung heavy in the air, and it pulled at Keith’s heart. A low growl rumbled from him as he followed the smell to-- Nothing. It stopped at the curb. He raised his head and stepped onto the street, looking both ways.

_No, no!_ he growled. He dropped his nose to the pavement, sniffing through hundreds of scents, but not finding his friends again. He paced into the street, huffing and scraping at it with his paws, before throwing his head back to howl in frustration.

The sound caused Shiro to flinch. He stood on the curb, staring at the wolf in the middle of street as he howled in despair. The howl echoed up and down the street, sending shivers up Shiro’s spine. Where he stood he could smell that this was where Lance and Hunk had been taken, thrown into some obscure vehicle and whisked away.

He looked down at the street before closing his eyes. What were they going to do now? He focused on the monster inside of him, and felt pressure against his ribs and his chest. He needed to find his pack, but how was he going to do that without any kind of lead? And if they waited for Sendak to call them back then--

Something materialized in his mind, a shape, an idea, a location. He grabbed it and pulled on it; it was like trying to reel in a shark with just a piece of sewing string. But there was something his wolf was trying to tell him, and Shiro needed to listen.

Through wolf eyes he saw his apartment covered in blood. With a start Shiro stepped back and stumbled over Keith, who had come to stand beside him. “Come on--” he gasped as he turned, running back to the car. “Hurry!”

He was covered in sweat and his heart was hammering in his chest when he reached his car. First he opened the backdoor for Keith and then jumped in the driver’s side. He floored it, cutting into the street and turning the car around. In the backseat he could hear Keith’s strangled whines before the young man sat up.

“Shiro,” Keith rasped, “where are we going? Did you smell something I missed?”

Shiro frowned. “No. I can _feel_ something,” he explained as he drove, his knuckles white from his grip on the steering wheel. 

Keith quickly dressed and crawled back into the passenger seat. He glanced at Shiro. The man’s jaw was clenched and his hand clamped down on the wheel. He could smell Shiro’s wolf, the scent heavy in the car, but the man wasn’t transforming, not like Keith had. He wondered if it was possible that Shiro was… talking to his wolf?

They screeched up to Shiro’s building and the man launched out the car without putting it in Park. Keith yelped, leaping across the seat to do just that, then jumped out and ran after the alpha, barely reaching the lobby door before it closed.

Shiro vaulted up the stairs, taking them three at a time, until he reached his apartment door. The heavy smell of magic and blood hung in the stairwell and there were drops of blood all the way up to Shiro’s. When he reached his door he saw it was shut, but someone had obviously broken in. There was blood on the door handle.

Keith, breathing heavy from running, ran into the apartment behind Shiro.

“Pidge?!” he yelled; he had smelled her the second he’d ran through the lobby.

Shiro stopped, tilted his head, and then turned heading down the hall. Keith hesitated, looking around. There was blood on the floor, little drops and larger puddles. Feeling sick he darted down the hallway to the bathroom where Shiro was standing.

Keith stopped just in the bathroom door, feet sliding in blood. Curled in the bottom of the shower was Pidge. Keith shoved past Shiro and fell down next to her. She was alive, he could hear her heartbeat, but she was badly injured. Keith, his emotions going from anger to worry and back again, took a heaving breath to calm down. “P-Pidge?” he gasped, touching her shoulder.

He was answered by a quiet moan. Carefully he maneuvered her onto her back. Pidge’s face was bruised and it looked like her left femur had been broken. She was heavily bruised and there were rips in her skin. Slowly he lifted her shirt to reveal heavy marks deep in her flesh in the shape of the grill of a truck or van. He growled. “She was hit by a car.”

“Sendak,” Shiro rumbled.

Keith looked back and tossed his cell phone to the man. “Call Matt, her brother. She needs more help than I can give her.”

As Shiro stepped out of the bathroom to make the call, Keith did his best to assess Pidge’s injuries and stripped her of her clothing. He then got up and found a first-aid kit under the sink. It wasn’t nearly as well stocked as his own, but it would do for now. He was working to stop the bleeding on her leg when Pidge jerked and woke with a scream.

“I’m sorry--” he gasped. “That hurt, I’m sorry!”

Pidge, eyes huge and mouth open and panting, stared at him. “K-Keith?”

“Yeah,” he said with a tearful smile, “it’s me. Keith. Now lay down--you’re making it worse.”

“He ran me down!” she shouted furiously as tears streamed down her face. “He ran me--down. Like--like it was a game. What is he--doing out? Why is he out of jail?!” She grabbed Keith by the shoulders and stared into his face.

Adrenaline was keeping Pidge upright and verbal, but Keith knew as soon as it as gone she was going to crash. He pulled her hands from his shoulders and forced her to lay down. “Lay down, Pidge,” he said as he tried to hold her without hurting her. “You’re really hurt and I need you to stop moving.”

She growled before it cut off into a cry. “How did you find me?”

“Shiro… just seemed to know you were here,” Keith explained. “We were…”

Pidge, lying still as pain throbbed through her, turned her head to him. She frowned, but not in pain. There was something Keith’s eyes and he was refusing to make eye contact. She sucked in a breath. “What else happened?”

“Maybe now isn’t the time,” he murmured as he worked.

Her hand, tiny compared to his own, clamped down on his wrist. “Keith,” she ground out. “Tell me.”

Keith sighed and ran his hand through his thick hair. “Sendak has Lance and Hunk.”

Pidge’s eyes grew huge. She struggled to sit up, and would have, had Shiro not returned and dropped down next to her. He put his large hand on her shoulder and pinned her down. “Stay down,” he said gently. “Your brother is on his way over.”

She looked at him and the fire died from her eyes. She sniffled. “They’re dead, aren’t they?”

Shiro shook his head. “Not yet.”

“Is that better or worse?” Pidge asked. She hissed when Keith placed a bandage over her ribs.

“I’m going to get them back,” Shiro promised, his voice holding no room for argument.

“Can you… even change?” she asked. “The moon was still a couple weeks away.”

Shiro looked up, meeting Keith’s eyes. They bled black and his expression grew dark. “I will.”

…

“I got a hold of Allura,” Keith said as he paced around Shiro’s apartment. Matt was there, tending Pidge and getting ready to move her. She needed more help than any of them could give her, and Matt explained that he knew a shapeshifter who was also a doctor. After calling her, she agreed to meet Matt and Pidge at her clinic. But it was on the other side of Aris, and Keith and Shiro couldn’t go with them.

“What did she say?”

“She’s not going to wait for us, she’s going out to hunt now,” Keith said. “She’ll call if she gets any leads.”

“She’s pretty unstoppable,” Shiro commented. 

“Guys, we’re ready,” Matt interrupted. “She’s as good as she’s going to be.”

Pidge groaned. “I’m fine.”

“Yeah, I can tell,” Matt said as he stood over her, hands on his hips, “nice broken, well, everything.”

She flipped him off. Pidge winced as Keith, carefully, picked her up. He was stronger than Matt, and while Shiro would have been more ideal, he was afraid he would jostle her too much. They used the elevator to shorten the distance and Matt ran ahead to open the doors to his van. Keith stared down at his friend. 

“Pidge, we’re going to find them,” he promised her.

She sighed and, after pulling her arm free from the blanket she was cocooned in, touched Keith’s face. “You fucking better.”

After they drove away and Shiro had gone back into the apartment, Keith stood on the curb, staring up at the sky. He could still smell her blood, her heavy scent of magic, and could see the terror in her eyes. He growled, body shaking as he struggled to hold himself together. He had promised Pidge that he would find the rest of the pack. And he would. He just didn’t know how.

He turned to go back into the apartment when his phone beeped. He pulled it out and stared at the text from Lance’s phone.

**Lance (2:10am) Morse and Willow. Victoria and 7th.**

Keith knew those locations. Victoria and 7th was just up the street from the warehouse. Morse and Willow was on the other side of the city, just near the big evangelical church that had flooded last summer and had been down for repairs. He frowned before he gazed up at the apartment building. If he showed this to Shiro he would never let him go. He would try to protect him. 

Keith frowned worriedly as guilt settled heavily in his stomach. He didn’t have a choice.

…

Shiro looked out the window only to see that the street was empty below. After Pidge and Matt had left, he had sensed that Keith needed some time to himself, so he had returned to the apartment alone and started to clean the place up. But that had been a while ago, and Keith still hadn’t returned. Deciding to go out and see what was wrong, he opened the apartment door--

He stopped, staring down at his feet. It was Keith’s cell phone and a pile of his clothing and his shoes. Fear hit him like ice water as he stooped down and picked it up. When he unlocked the phone there was a text message pulled up:

**Lance (2:10am) Morse and Willow. Victoria and 7th.**

“God...dammit, Keith,” Shiro breathed. Sendak was trying to split them up, and it worked. He stared at the phone in his shaking hand. Which location had Keith picked? He recognized the one address, it was close to where Keith worked. The other address he didn’t recognize at all.

With a growl he grabbed his keys and headed down to the car. When he passed through the lobby he caught Keith’s heavy scent, thick with magic and wolf. He thought about tracking him, but it would be on two legs, and he needed to be moving fast. He would have to drive, and hope that he guessed right.

_If we make it through this, we’re going to have a long talk about this,_ Shiro growled to himself when he reached the car. There was no way to know which way Keith went. When he tried to focus on him, like he had with Pidge, he received nothing. Keith was in the wind and Shiro was going to have to guess.

He drove to the warehouse.

It was quiet here, only security guards that watched the warehouse and docks were present. He drove by and down Victoria, heading to the intersection with 7th street. There was a bar on the corner and the streetlights were broken out, casing the corner in deep shadows. But he could see that it was surrounded by yellow security tape and the parking spaces in front of it warded off by traffic barriers. Shiro parked as close as he could and stepped out of the car. 

The first thing he noticed was that he didn’t smell Keith at all. The second was that there _was_ a werewolf here. He stomped around the barriers and the tape up to the building, which had been damaged by a fire. The windows were covered in cardboard and the door was nailed in place. He walked around the building, stepping over burned debris and shattered glass. The fire had been days ago but he could still smell the heavy scent of charred wood, ash, smoke; water and foam. He wrinkled his nose and went around to the back where the door was open.

He knew it was a trap, but he couldn’t turn back now. He could hear something: heavy breathing and a frantic heartbeat. He growled and stomped through the threshold and down the hallway. As he walked further into the establishment he could smell blood and liquor and the heavy scent of werewolf. He stepped through another door into the back where there was a stage and piles of burned chairs. He frowned in the low-lights before his eyes adjusted. He saw a figure on the stage, tied to a chair. 

“Lance,” he breathed. The young man jerked when he heard his name. He was gagged and blindfolded, but upon hearing Shiro, started to shout against the gag and struggle. Shiro stepped forward and stopped. From the shadows stepped a large wolf. It was burnt grey with fresh scars and a tattered ear. “Prorok,” he growled.

The werewolf pulled back his lips to reveal his teeth. He pressed them against Lance’s leg.

Shiro didn't move. He could smell Lance’s blood, and he was still human. He growled. “Why don’t you pick on someone more in your league?” he asked. He stripped off his shirt and then his shoes. The werewolf walked to the edge of the stage, watching as Shiro stripped. He expected it to lunge at him, but instead he sat and watched, waiting. Almost like it was laughing at him.

_He thinks I can’t do it,_ Shiro realized as he stripped down, _But I can. I have to. Lance needs me. My pack needs me._ And somewhere in the city Keith was alone, probably walking straight into Sendak’s trap. The ground rushed up to meet him, slamming into his face as his chest hit wood and he gagged, vomiting blood, as the transformation quite literally ripped through him.

It was more painful than last time and Shiro couldn’t stop himself from screaming into the floor. It felt like every nerve was exposed and was being shocked with a million volts of electricity. His skin ripped open, his organs sloshed around in his body, his bones jutted through his flesh. Shiro didn’t know if the other wolf was around, he didn’t know where Lance was, all he knew was that he was in so much fucking pain that if he died right there, he would have been fine with it. Even when the pain started to ebb he still hurt in ways he couldn’t even imagine, because he was being swallowed in darkness; drowning.

The werewolf he became stood, shook out it’s coat, and growled.

But Shiro wasn't the one growling or the one in control. For a moment he was looking through windows into the bar, and then the darkness shut him out. A suffocating silence dropped around him and he couldn't see or hear anything, not even his own breathing. Shiro closed his eyes and dug his hand into the shadows around him. They found purchase of flesh and bone. He felt his body shake as he clawed his way through his subconsciousness. He had to be in control here, not the wolf. 

The wolf was currently circling the other werewolf. He could hear, echoing around him, the beta wolf’s voice, but he couldn’t understand it. 

Shiro reached, fingers grasping and clawing, as he fought for control. Tendrils wrapped around his legs and ankles, trying to hold him back. But he clawed and bit them away. He felt pain blossom across his back leg from a very real-world bite. There was a cackle in his mind, laughter from the other werewolf.

“You aren’t going to win this without me!” Shiro screamed as he pushed through the darkness. “Only together will we win this! We have to work as one in order to save our pack!”

His voice was swallowed by shadow, without even an echo, but it did attract attention. He reached out when a pair of white eyes blinked at him from the void. Shiro continued to push his way toward the wolf. Teeth, gleaming in the darkness, threatened him. He didn’t care. He pushed forward until he was crawling up to a massive grey wolf with scarred fur and three legs. He reached out and teeth clamped onto his arm. Pain radiated through him, down to his very nerves, and he cried out. 

“I’m not giving up,” he shouted, “I’m not letting go!” He jerked the wolf forward and pressed his face into the fur of its neck. The wolf bit him again, but this time the pain was dulled. Blood seeped between them as Shiro bit the wolf back, cutting into its throat. Blood mixed together, shining and bright, and Shiro closed his eyes.

When he opened them again he was staring at the ceiling of the bar. Prorok was dropping down onto him, teeth bloody and bared.

Shiro rolled out of his reach, stumbling awkwardly as he pulled himself together. He could see the world clearly now. Prorok had bitten him in the back leg and in return Shiro had ripped apart off one of his ears. The beta wolf stared at him, recognition in his glowing eyes.

_I see you’re with me now,_ the beta smirked.

_Where is Sendak?_ he demanded as he lashed his tail. 

_Probably fucking your little bitch by now,_ Prorok laughed.

Shiro bared his teeth. _You have one chance to tell me and then leave._

_Victory, or death!_ the werewolf shouted before lunging.

Shiro leaped out of the way only to stumble upon landing. He turned, snapping his teeth at the other wolf. Prorok tried to slide in under his defenses, using his missing leg to his advantage, but Shiro predicted this. He twisted when Prorok dove and caught him by the back of his neck. His teeth sank deep and blood filled his mouth.

The beta wolf cried in pain and struggled to get away, only managing to do so when Shiro’s powerful teeth cut through fur and flesh. With a huge gaping wound on the back of his neck the beta stumbled back, tail tucking up between his legs. He stared at the alpha’s glowing eyes. Prorok backed up, seeming to realize that he wasn’t going to win this. He bared his teeth and arched his back, but the pain and blood running through his fur and to the floor was draining his energy. His ears flicked back, before he whipped around.

Shiro darted after the beta when it turned, claws sliding on the ground to run, and it went straight for Lance.

_Shit!_ Shiro whined as he stumbled and picked himself up. He jumped, praying he could catch the wolf before he reached Lance, when out from behind the bound human came a flash of light.

No, not light, but brilliant white fur and blazing blue eyes. Shiro didn’t need to smell her to know her. Allura hit the other beta wolf head-on, knocking him away from Lance and to the ground. She jumped off the stage and grabbed him by the flank, teeth sinking in deep and ripping away fur.

Shiro lunged and grabbed Prorok by the throat. The beta snarled and struggled, but Shiro didn’t let go. He pulled the other wolf back, dragging him away from the she-wolf and human. He sank his teeth down deeper before he raised his head, and shook--

_Snap!_

The struggling wolf stopped moving and hung from Shiro's teeth. Shiro dropped his lifeless body to the ground with a huff. He didn’t spare the wolf a second glance and stepped around him. Allura was standing at the base of the stage, her ears up and tail dropped down between her legs.

_Allura,_ he breathed, _am I happy to see you!_

She tilted her head and her tail flipped up and wagged. _You are in there, aren’t you?_ Allura asked in disbelief.

Shiro tilted his head. _Couldn’t you tell?_

Allura shifted on her paws. _I didn't really believe it until now. But am I glad! You’re… impressive._

On the stage Lance started to struggle against his bindings. Shiro flicked his tail and leaped onto the stage with the white wolf. Together they used their teeth to free Lance’s hands. He yanked off the gag and the blindfold and when the young human saw the massive grey wolf in front of him, he sobbed in relief. 

“I don’t even need to ask,” Lance cried as he fell from the chair and onto Shiro, arms around him. He pressed his face into his heavy fur and slumped against the wolf. “I’m so sorry, Shiro. We tried to fight back. We tried--oh god, Hunk. Where is he? Did you find him?” He tightened his arms around the large wolf and curled up there, body shaking.

Shiro whined and turned his head, licking at the cuts on Lance’s face. He’d taken a bad beating. His face was all colors and there was a heavy cut on his forehead. He licked at him until the blood was gone and the young man was finally pushing him away. He could hear Lance’s heartbeat slow and the adrenaline drain from his body. Shiro flicked his ears before stepping up, rubbing his chin on Lance’s face and in his hair, across his shoulders. Lance was his pack, and everyone would know it.

“I’m okay,” he said tearfully as he leaned back, smelling heavily of werewolf. “Thank you…” Then he noticed Allura, sitting nearby, her white fur pristine and her ears perked. He gaped at her. “Allura?”

_Do you know where Hunk is?_ Allura asked as she stood to approach Lance.

_I think so,_ Shiro answered, _Do you know where Morse and Willow meet?_

Allura sat next to Lance. The human stared at her. _It sounds very familiar. I think it’s a big church that flooded last year. You need to hurry, Shiro. If Sendak has Hunk, and I imagine Keith since he’s not here with you… You just need to hurry. I’ll stay here with Lance._

Shiro flicked his ears. He gave them both a nudge with his nose before limping out of the bar. He stopped near his car, but he couldn’t manage to change back. He growled, digging his claws into the ground. _Fuck!_ he howled. _I need to move fast! I need to change back!_

He was pacing, trying to summon his human skin, thinking of going back inside to get Lance and just have him drive, when he was hit with a funny feeling. Pain and panic blossomed from deep inside him, but it wasn’t his pain or panic. He straightened, head turning into the wind. _Keith!_

…

Keith wasn’t surprised to find the front door to the church wide open. Construction equipment sat empty and motionless around the large building. He walked under warning tape and around barrels and crates and through the door. He lowered his nose to the ground and followed Hunk’s scent through the hallways. The building was humongous, not just a stage and auditorium, but offices and prayer rooms and meeting rooms. He went deeper and deeper, until he found himself stepped through a door and onto the auditorium's back stage. Strange shadows lingered here, of props and equipment and huge hanging curtains. It smelled like mold and old water and--Hunk.

Hunk was lying on the ground, hands and feet bound with a gag over his mouth. Keith whined, lashing his tail uneasily, before slinking up to his friend. He nudged at him with his nose, which caused Hunk to open his eyes. When he saw Keith he yelled, voice muffled and hoarse. Tears slipped down his bruised face. Keith sniffed at him, nose pressed into his hair, down his neck, until he stopped at the bite that had been taken out of Hunk’s calf. He growled before licking it.

_Imagine my disappointment when I realized this one wasn’t human,_ Sendak said as he slowly emerged from behind a piano. 

Keith turned around, ears flat and teeth bared. He stood protectively over Hunk. 

_I knew you’d be the one to come,_ Sendak said with a grin. His teeth were stained with blood. _We’re connected, whether you admit it or not. How else do you explain your decision to come to me and abandon your alpha?_

_My love for my friend is what brought me here,_ Keith growled, _and it’s going to be what gives me the power to finally kill you._

_The power of friendship?_ the alpha laughed. _Interesting last words._

Keith took a deep breath. He stepped over Hunk, approaching the alpha wolf. _Shiro…_ he sighed to himself, _I’m sorry._


	17. Champion

Sendak watched as the smaller wolf approached him. He grinned, holding his head high and showing his teeth.

_If you submit to me now, I’ll let your friend go,_ he offered.

_No, you won’t,_ Keith said as they circled.

Sendak sneered. _You’re right._

Keith showed his teeth and jumped back when Sendak snapped at him. The alpha’s overwhelming scent filled the small area backstage and Keith frowned. Sendak and Shiro were both impressive alphas of their species, but dramatically different. Keith had noticed the similarities, little moments that Shiro didn’t even notice. Like when he hung the young alpha off the bridge, when he expressed his desire to lay his kill at Keith’s feet; even in small moments together in bed with Shiro scent-marked him or pinned him down to lightly bite at his neck. But Shiro wasn’t Sendak, he wasn’t a stalker, a murdered, a monster. Shiro was…

The small omega missed a step and stumbled. His ears flattened and his tail drooped slightly. Shiro was his alpha, the love of his life, the one man who he would ever...let pin him down. Maybe he wasn’t comfortable with it as a wolf yet, but when Shiro loomed over him in bed, with shoulders that could block the horizon and strength that he could lift a car, Keith found himself not even remotely afraid. Shiro always touched him tenderly, always took his time with him, never took more from Keith than he could spare. And if he never… 

The alpha in front of him snarled and laughed. _Don’t worry, omega, I’ll show you what an alpha can really do._

Keith jumped back, just dodging the snap of teeth. He turned, leading the alpha away from Hunk and out the stage door into the auditorium. Due to flooding all the carpet had been removed and the flooring was just stained concrete. The snap of their teeth and scrabble of claws echoed around hundreds upon hundreds of seats. Keith growled and darted up between chairs.

Sendak, larger and less agile, growled in annoyance. He jumped onto the chairs, stumbling over them as they folded down, and darted after Keith’s shadow. He leaped and Keith jumped to avoid him, his vertical leap taking him above Sendak. He landed gracefully on the back of the chairs and started to run up the steep incline.

_I can’t run forever,_ Keith huffed as he dodged another bite. He turned, head-butting the other werewolf and biting at his muzzle. Sendak in return grabbed the for his neck, his teeth catching only fur. Keith yelped and fell back between seats. Sendak lunged at him and Keith just barely managed to worm his way under the seats. The larger werewolf snarled as he struggled to follow.

Sendak howled, his voice echoing loudly. _Too afraid to fight me?_ he taunted.

Keith growled. He ran up to the top of the auditorium and turned. Sendak stood halfway down the middle, staring at him with one glowing eye. Keith closed his eyes, focusing on the rush of energy pumping through him. _Run. Run away,_ his omega instincts screamed at him. Sendak was twice his size, had bigger teeth and a stronger jaw, had more power and muscle. Keith’s legs were longer, he was faster, his teeth sharper, but if this came down to an actual fight… Keith would lose.

In his mind an image of Shiro came to mind. Not in human flesh, but werewolf fur. Shiro, three-legged and huge, with a white mark across his chest, a thick scar across his nose, and glowing dark eyes. He remembered the heavy scent of his fur, the softness when he had curled up again him before the full moon has set. An ache formed in his chest, growing and growing until the point of pain. He wanted to howl with Shiro again, he wanted to stare at the moon with him, he wanted… to be with him again.

If he stayed here with Sendak he was going to die. If he left, then Hunk would die.

Sendak sneered, showing his teeth. He slowly stalked toward the omega. _I know what you’re thinking,_ he said. _You can run away from me again, and I’ll kill your friend. But I’ll never stop hunting you, Keith. You’re meant to be my omega, not his._

Keith sprinted away from him, down another row of chairs. He could hear the alpha’s heavy breathing as he ran after him, barreling through the folded up chairs. Keith reached the end of the row only to realize with a start that Sendak hadn’t been behind him, but in the next row, and he burst from it with a snarl, slamming into the smaller wolf.

The smaller black wolf tumbled down several steps before he rolled onto his back with the alpha over him. He squirmed and kicked at Sendak, pushing him back just enough to avoid the snap of his teeth. But the alpha wasn’t backing off, even when Keith’s claws dug through fur and into flesh. His mouth came down and closed down on his throat.

Spots appeared before his eyes and pain made his body instinctively jerk. His eyes rolled back, looking for an escape, before he used all his energy to lurch them down the concrete steps. Sendak had no choice but to let go as he rolled. Keith’s hip hit a chair and he stopped with a yelp. 

He was just catching his breath when Sendak appeared in front of him again. The omega scrambled back, flattening against the ground and worming under the seats to get away again. This time Sendak went over the seats and--

Sendak dove after him, this time catching his tail. The omega yelped and Sendak jerked him back and into the air. He let go and set Keith flying down onto the ground and rolling down the stairs. He howled and ran after him.

The world was still spinning when Keith stopped rolling at the very bottom of the auditorium. He turned his head, eyes wide in shock as Sendak ran for him, his eye glowing in the darkness. Keith struggled to stand, but everything hurt. Every bone and muscle ached; his head was spinning, his ears were ringing. He backed up, tail lashing and showing his teeth. 

Sendak put his head down and rammed Keith into the bottom of the stage. There was a crack from both the wooden stage and Keith’s ribs. The omega whined, breath coming in harsh breaths, and the alpha smirked. He lunged and Keith bit back, his teeth scraping across Sendak’s muzzle and nose, tearing away fur and flesh. The alpha grunted and lurched back with a growl.

Blood ran down Sendak’s face and he bared his teeth. Keith limped backwards into the corner where the stage met the wall. With each deep breath he was subjected to a sharp pain and coughed up blood. But he ignored it. He tested each of his legs, and unfortunately his right leg was incredibly tender. _Shit…_

_No more running,_ Sendak laughed as he took a deep breath. The omega’s scent filled the air between them, heavy with nervousness, fear, anger, and injury. Sendak’s tongue rolled from his mouth. _Is this how Shirogane smells you?_

Panting loudly Keith held his leg up close to his body. He flattened his ears. _Fuck you, Sendak._ Blood dripped from both of them; they were covered in each other’s blood and scent. It made Keith’s stomach churn, knowing that he smelled like the alpha in front of him. Sendak wasn’t pack, Sendak wasn’t his alpha. He wrinkled his nose. He was going to end this.

Pushing all his energy into his back legs, Keith leaped.

Sendak stopped in surprise, rearing back as the smaller wolf slammed into him, teeth biting at his face and his ears. Fur flew and blood splattered across the ground. Keith got his jaws around Sendak’s shoulder as the alpha bit down his injured leg. There was a loud _snap_ and Keith choked. Pain hit him like a train but he refused to let go. His sharp teeth sawed through fur and flesh and into bone; it crunched and Sendak grabbed the broken leg and savagely shook it.

Keith cried out and was thrown across the floor, bouncing. He laid there, panting heavily, watching as Sendak limped toward him. He struggled to his feet, but he wasn’t fast enough as the alpha launched forward, teeth biting at Keith’s face. He whined in pain as the alpha’s teeth left a long gash across his cheek. 

The alpha wolf stepped back, admiring his handiwork as the omega lay at his feet. The gash was deep and bleeding, and would certainly scar. He howled. _Now that I’ve marked my property,_ he sneered, _I can have some fun with you._

Keith struggled to his feet, body shaking. The alpha stepped back, watching. Keith shook swayed before catching himself. _I’m fucking tired of hearing your voice,_ Keith snarled as he bunched up the burning muscles in his back legs and leaped. Sendak was ready for it, and he slammed Keith into the ground.

Sendak lunged at him, when suddenly his eye widened and he was being pulled back. He turned his head around.

Keith sat up, eyes blinking in shock. Shiro had Sendak by the tail and was dragging him backwards.

The omega let out a strangled whine and he slumped to the ground in relief and pain. _Thank god…_

Sendak turned and dove at Shiro, forcing him to release his tail. Shiro limped between the other alpha and his omega.

_When this is done, we’re going to have a long talk,_ Shiro growled at Keith who was struggling to stand.

Keith flicked his large ears down as he stood. He was shaking all over and his eyesight was blurry. He stepped up next to the larger alpha. Shiro smelled like heavy sweat and blood from another fight. But there was a strength surrounding him, a heavy scent that only a powerful alpha could have, and when Keith stood closer, the scent only grew stronger. He whined, ears and tail dropping, out of submission and out of exhaustion.

Shiro glanced at Keith. Because of his black fur it was hard to see where all the blood was coming from, and fuck, there was a lot of it. He was walking gingerly on a leg that had to be broken from the way the bone was disjointed beneath the skin and the teeth marks that had left deep punctures in his skin. Then there was a gash on his face, deep and bloody, and the wetness on his fur. Rage blinded Shiro and he turned to Sendak with a growl that filled the auditorium, echoing loudly around them.

Sendak laughed. He tilted his head, staring at the other wolf. Shiro was breathing roughly and was standing heavily. He wondered if the alpha actually ran all the way here from the other location. After running all around the auditorium after the omega, he was feeling tired himself. At least this would level out the playing field. Sendak knew he had the advantage and he grinned. _I knew you would kill Prorok,_ Sendak said with a shrug, _Did you enjoy it?_

_There wasn’t much to enjoy,_ Shiro growled. _I just snapped his neck like a twig._ Next to him there was a weight against his side and he spared a glance at Keith, who was swaying on his feet. The ground beneath him was bloody. He turned back to Sendak and huffed. _I’m going to do the same to you._

Keith stumbled when Shiro leaped at the other wolf. They slammed into each other, biting and clawing, their snarls and the chomp of their jaws echoing through the air. After shaking off a wave of dizziness, Keith slinked around the two fighting wolves. Getting between two alpha wolves was just about the dumbest thing anyone could do. But that wasn’t going to stop him. When he saw an opening he leaped onto Sendak’s back, sinking his teeth into the back of his neck.

The alpha whirled around, using Keith as a shield against Shiro’s snapping teeth, before he jumped into the air, twisted, and landed on his back, crushing the small omega beneath him. Keith let go, and Sendak shot to his feet and after Shiro.

Shiro’s eyes darted to Keith as the omega curled onto his side, whining quietly. Distracted, he didn’t notice Sendak until the other alpha shoved him onto the ground. Teeth closed down on his shoulder and Shiro yelped in shock. He bit back, grabbing a hunk of flesh and shaking; but Sendak was bigger and stronger than the beta he killed earlier and he wasn’t giving up.

When they finally broke apart, Shiro had no idea what blood smeared in his fur was his, and what what blood belonged to Sendak. All he knew was that he was bleeding and hurting and he tired. He squared his tattered ears and flipped up his tail. He was tired, but he wasn’t giving up. He was sore, but he wouldn’t back down. He was bleeding heavily, but he refused to back up.

Then he saw that Keith was still on the ground and Sendak was between them. He flinched.

_Keith?_ he whined. He stepped left, but Sendak mirrored him, blocking him from getting near his omega. His fur bristled.

If Sendak wasn’t going to move, then Shiro would just make him. He ran forward, his steps heavy with his limp, and lunged. Sendak ducked, going under Shiro’s missing leg, and bit his belly. Shiro yelped as he was lifted up on Sendak’s back, the other alpha’s teeth sank deep into soft flesh. He kicked and struggled, rolling them. He bit at the other wolf, desperate to break contact. If Sendak bit him any deeper--

A black shadow suddenly shoved between them as Keith tackled Sendak and grabbed his neck again. Sendak let go of Shiro’s belly, blood spraying from his teeth as he did, and tried to roll Keith off him. This time the omega didn’t let go. He held on with all his legs and adjusted his bite. Sendak reared back and growled, turning his head this way and that, trying to shake the other wolf off.

Shiro stumbled to his feet. The world around him spun and he whined. He limped toward the two, watching as Sendak caught Keith’s leg and twisted it, causing the omega to let go and bark in pain. Sendak threw Keith to the ground and tackled him, going for his throat.

With strength found through desperation, Shiro leaped onto Sendak and knocked him away from his mate. He didn’t have time to check on Keith or look back. He ran after Sendak and put his head down, slamming him into the nearest wall. There was a loud crack, but Shiro didn’t know if it was from the other alpha or the wall. He grabbed Sendak by his leg and shook, dragging him across the ground. The other alpha rolled and slammed him to the side before rushing at him. Shiro held his ground, ramming into Sendak and the two slid across the ground. Shiro grabbed and ripped off one of Sendak's ears, making the the other wolf yowl in pain, and then went for his already bloody jaw. He snapped at the soft flesh just beneath his chin and Sendak snarled, rearing back.

Sendak head-butted him and Shiro slumped back, trying to shake off the cloud of blackness, when teeth caught his throat--

It was quiet very suddenly, and Keith, struggling, rolled over and saw that Sendak was over Shiro, pinning him down by his throat. Shiro’s eyes were wide, his mouth was open-- Keith yelped and shoved to his feet as Sendak’s eye rolled over to Keith and the werewolf sneered and bit down with a snarl.

Keith launched himself at the alphas. Sendak had no choice but to let go and turn to meet Keith head-on. They bit and Keith hit the ground, but he managed to lead Sendak away from Shiro. Keith dodged a bite and glanced at Shiro, who was lying still and bleeding.

Sendak sneered. _Look at your champion,_ he mocked. _He can’t even stand to save you. What will you do now?_

Keith didn’t dare spare a glance in Shiro’s direction. Instead he rushed at Sendak, ignoring the pain of his broken leg. The alpha was tired and limping heavily, and Keith easily slid past his snapping jaws and knocked him over. The two rolled and Keith pinned the weaker alpha and sank his teeth into his throat. _I’m going to save us all,_ he snarled as he bit down. Sendak struggled beneath him, legs kicking and body bucking, but Keith refused to let go. When he caught a glimpse of Shiro lying motionless, he still refused to let go. When Sendak started to wheeze and shake from lack of oxygen, Keith closed his eyes and bit down harder. He felt the alpha’s frantic heartbeat, felt the spasm in his muscles, heard the breaking of bones; he blocked out one last plea and laid his weight down on the larger wolf, keeping him down, with his jaws clamped onto his throat. Blood filled his mouth and he gagged.

Only when Keith felt no heartbeat from the body beneath him did he release his jaws. He slowly stood up, staring down at Sendak. The alpha’s eye was open wide and his tongue was hanging from his mouth. His body swayed with exhaustion and he stumbled as he stepped over the dead wolf. He wanted to sink to the ground and pass out but when he saw Shiro...

Shiro was still lying on the ground, but he had gone from being a large wolf to a naked man covered in bloody wounds and bruises. Keith’s voice caught in his throat as he limped over to the human. He circled Shiro once, pushing at him with his nose. Shiro didn’t move. Was he breathing? Keith couldn’t tell. There were puncture marks around his neck and bruises. He whined and paws at Shiro’s shoulder. He wasn’t moving--he wasn’t… breathing...

Keith stumbled back, pain ripping through him as he slumped to the ground, his body trembling as he changed from wolf to man. He crawled to the man lying on the ground and collapsed over him.

“Shiro?” he gasped. He searched for a pulse, but he couldn’t find one. He leaned on Shiro’s shoulders and shook him. He started to sob. “Shiro? Wake up…” his voice was hoarse and blood smeared across his lips and down his chin. He choked in pain, tears streaming down his face. 

“Shiro!” he yelled, hiccuping between sobs. “Please don’t leave me! Wake up!”

…

_”Shiro!”_

_“Wake up, Shiro!”_

_“Shiro, I need you. You can’t leave me.”_

_“Shiro! Please!”_

Shiro opened his eyes and found himself staring at a black sky, devoid of stars and light. He sat up slowly and rubbed at his face with his hand. When his vision cleared up he stared at his hand on confusion. He tried to figure out what was wrong. When he held his hand up he could… see through it… He looked down at his naked body and realized he could see through all of himself.

He flinched and yelped, scrambling back and finally to his feet. He tripped over a rock and fell again, sending up a cloud of glittering grey dust. 

“Where am I?!” he cried out in alarm. His voice echoed back and he winced at the volume. He looked down at the ground, touching it with his fingers. It was grey and dusty but glittered when touched. He looked at his hand again, or rather, through it, and into the black sky. But he could reach down and gather a handful of the dust. He shook his head.

“What the hell is happening,” he gasped as he pushed to his feet. He looked down and through himself, and realized with a little start that he wasn't injured. When he closed his eyes the last thing he remembered was fighting Sendak in the church. Keith had been lying nearby, bloody and injured. But when Shiro looked at himself he saw that he wasn’t hurt at all. And Keith wasn’t here. "Keith?"

Shaking, Shiro turned around. The landscape was bleak and monotone, with only the glitter of dust to distract him. Off in the distance, against the never-ending blackness he saw mountains and hills, but no vegetation. He turned in a circle, only stopping when he saw something blue and green and bright in the distance.

Shiro choked. Half submerged in the darkness was the Planet Earth. It looked exactly like a poster he had had hanging in his bedroom as a child. Back when he dreamed of being an astronaut, when he wanted to travel the stars and explore new worlds. The whole science officer thing from Star Trek. He realized then where he was.

The Moon. He was standing on the goddamn moon. Around him was blackness, beneath him glittering moondust, and in the distance was the Earth. He shook his head, raising his hand to tear through at his hair. “This is impossible…”

Shiro shook his head. He touched his chest but felt no heartbeat. He looked around, kicking up dust. “I’m dead,” he realized with a stumble. “No--No I can’t be _dead_ \---” He tore at his hair, but no matter how hard he pulled, he felt no pain.

_”Shiro!”_

He jerked around as Keith’s voice echoed quietly around him. Breaking into a run he tried to follow it back to its source. He was sure he was running in circles when he looked down and saw huge paw prints imprinted in the heavy dust. “Keith!?” he yelled. He tilted his head but didn’t hear his mate’s voice again. “Please… Keith… Keith where are you!?”

He continued to walk until the Earth was no longer in view. He couldn’t hear Keith’s voice anymore, but something else filled his ears. It was a low, never-ending roar. He frowned, shuffling around large rocks and boulders, until he found himself walking toward a beach. Black water rolled up over white sands. Shiro frowned and turned around. Behind him it was quiet and black. Here, however, when he tilted his head to the sky he saw that it was now full of stars and heavy with nebulas and galaxies. He stared in awe, tears stinging his eyes, as he watched a monstrous spiral galaxy as it swirled over his head. If he listened, he could almost hear it.

Tears ran down his face and he shook his head. “Keith… where are you…”

There was a whine and the scrape of paws near him, which tore his attention away from the sky. He looked around, almost missing it at first, but standing on the rocks near the water was a wolf--no, it was his wolf. Deep grey fur, a scar across his nose, and a white patch on his chest. It was staring at him with eyes brighter than the hearts of the stars above him.

_”Takashi....”_

Keith’s voice made him fall to his knees. He curled his hands into the sparkling white sands and struggled to breathe.

“I know you can hear that,” Shiro told the wolf, “we have to go back to him.”

The wolf tilted its head and stepped down from the rocks. It walked near Shiro before turning to the ocean.

“Please,” Shiro begged, tears running down his face, “we have to go back. We have to get back to Keith. He’s… he’s our omega… I love him…”

The wolf sat down and sighed heavily. Slowly it leaned forward and sniffed at Shiro’s hair before it started to lick the tears from his face. Shiro bowed his head and raised his hand, burying it in the wolf’s heavy fur. He shook his head. “We can’t be here. Our mate needs us. Please… there has to be a way back. Show me the way back, please...”

The wolf stood and turned stepping into the water. He glanced back at Shiro and motioned his head. Slowly the man stood and walked with the wolf to the foaming water. When he stepped one foot in the water, he felt a jolt of pain. He looked down as wounds started to open up across his skin and blood smeared down his body. Sharp pains pricked around his neck and he struggled to take a breath.

_”Shiro!”_

This time Keith’s voice was louder and closer. Shiro ground his teeth and took another step forward. More wounds opened up and he stumbled in pain and against the push of the incoming waves. The wolf appeared next to him and he leaned on it, and together they waded into the water.

…

Keith had collapsed over Shiro, breath coming in sharp sobs. “Please don’t leave me,” he wept as he tucked his face into the man’s neck. “Please, Shiro… We were supposed to start our life together… I can’t do that without you…”

When warmth touched his back, Keith flinched and snapped his head up. He stared down at Shiro’s face, wet with Keith’s tears and his own, and watched as Shiro slowly opened his eyes. Keith held his breath. “Sh-Shiro?”

“Keith,” Shiro rasped. He tangled his hand in the omega’s hair and let out a choking cry. “I could hear you.”

Keith let out a relieved cry and fell back onto him. He curled up against him, face nestled into his neck, while Shiro held him, doing the same. Shiro buried his face in his mate’s hair, inhaling deep, letting the scent wash over him. They had come so close to losing each other... he choked on a sob of his own.

“I thought I lost you,” Keith whimpered.

“You almost did,” Shiro said hoarsely. He pushed his hand through Keith’s hair and touched his chin, tilting his head up. He stared into his deep purple eyes. Keith was pale, his face red and mottled and his lips bloody. His eyes were huge and red from crying and his pupils dilated from pain. “Not… not even death can keep us… apart…”

Keith whined and slumped over him. The world was spinning and he struggled to stay awake. “Shiro…”

“Takashi,” he whispered. “Please… call me Takashi.”

The sound of pounding footsteps echoed through the auditorium and Keith turned his attention the stage as Allura, Hunk and Lance ran out. “...I heard Keith yelling! We gotta hurry!” Hunk was shouting as they slid out onto the stage and saw the two men lying down near the stadium seating. For a moment the trio just stood there, gaping.

“Are you guys okay?!” Lance yelped as he leaped down and ran toward them. His head was bandaged and he was limping, but otherwise he looked to be alright. Not like the two werewolves. Keith had slumped over Shiro and Lance just stood there for a second, trying to decide who needed medical attention the most. “Fuck--”

Hunk, limping heavily to the steps that lead down to the stage, stopped when he saw the large dead wolf lying against the wall. He stared, eyes wide, before he slowly continued. “Is that… Sendak?” he gulped. “He’s dead, right? Please tell me he’s dead…”

Allura hopped down off the stage and stepped over to the dead wolf. “Yeah, he’s dead.” She reached for Hunk’s hand to steady him when he stumbled with the last step.

“Should we just leave him here?” Hunk asked worriedly. “Someone will find him--”

“Hunk!” Lance yelled from where he knelt next to Shiro. Both men were passed out, and he had laid them side-by-side. “I need your help here!”

“I’ll call someone who cleans up this kind of stuff,” she said as Hunk rushed to Lance’s side.

“Are they alive?” Hunk gasped as he knelt next to Shiro.

“Barely. They need medical attention, like, an hour ago,” Lance grumbled. “We need to get them out of here.”

“We’ll have to carry them out to the car...” Hunk started to say when Allura stepped up and picked Shiro up without even grunting. Both humans stared at her in shock before jumping to pick up Keith. Between the three of them they carried the two injured werewolves out to Shiro’s car.

“Guys, Shiro is really weak,” Lance said from the backseat where he was trying to stabilize both werewolves with nothing but strips of his ripped up t-shirt. “They need an actual hospital, not just bandages and sutures. I know you werewolves are against that kind of thing, but they’re going to die. I’m not being dramatic here. I’m fucking serious.”

“I know someone,” Allura said from the driver’s seat. "He was a doctor once." She turned the car around, cutting across the traffic, and hit the gas. She pulled out her phone and selected a name from her contact list. She was sure that she was going to catch hell for calling at three-in-the-morning, but there wasn’t any other choice. After calling three times in a row, an annoyed, posh voice answered.

“Coran, I know it’s late, but I need your help.”

…

“I can’t believe either of them is still alive,” muttered the red-headed man in his pajamas who was sporting the bushiest mustache Hunk had ever seen as he moved back and forth between the two passed out werewolves.

“Is it… that bad?” Hunk asked as he cut off his pant leg so he could get to the hideous bite mark that Sendak had given him. He disinfected it, grunting at the pain. Allura had driven them to an auto body shop, which Hunk had thought weird enough on it’s own, but it turned out the owner was a werewolf named Coran who had also been a medic in the army during the Korean War. Or, to quote Coran, a meatball surgeon and now his skills were rusty and he preferred to work on cars because they didn’t scream in pain and generally people didn’t cry when they died.

“It’s that bad,” Coran said as he and Lance took care of the two who were lying on the floor in Coran’s apartment which was above the shop. “Allura, this big alpha needs blood. Do you mind?”

“No, not at all,” the she-wolf said. While Coran propped up Shiro’s arm and readied the needle and tubing Allura dragged in a chair to sit in and slipped out of her sweater, leaving her in a dusky pink tank top. She sat down and tapped at her vein before Coran leaned over her. “Thank you, again, Coran.”

Coran shrugged. “Anything for you, Allura,” he said softly. When the blood started to floor he motioned for Hunk. “Stand here, hold this. I don’t have an IV stand so you’re going to be it.”

“No problem,” he said as he limped over.

Coran stopped to run his hand through his hair. He stared at the two werewolves. “Do I want to know what the other pack looks like?”

“Probably not,” Hunk said as he shifted uncomfortably.

Allura leaned back in the chair. She glanced at Hunk. “You didn’t get infected from that bite. What blood do you have?” 

Hunk smiled tiredly. “My aunt is a siren. I guess it gives me some kind of immunity to werewolf bites. It really hurts, though.”

“Well, you’re the one that just had to punch Sendak,” Lance grunted as he knelt over Keith with gauze and bandages.

Hunk blushed. “I was just trying to save your life.”

Coran, kneeling over Shiro, gingerly cleaned up the wound on his stomach and started to haphazardly suture it together. “He’s lucky he didn’t spill his guts everywhere,” he said. “This is… I’ve never seen someone live through so much carnage.” Shiro’s stomach was nearly ripped open, his throat had been bitten and he had been obviously suffocated; Coran couldn’t figure out how that didn’t kill him. There were bites and claw marks everywhere! He was bruised and bloody and… Breathing. How was he breathing?

Lance looked over at Coran. He wrinkled his nose in distaste. “Your stitching is awful.”

“I was a medic in the war!” Coran exclaimed as he worked on Shiro. “It was meatball surgery! Get em in, get em out, and keep em alive. That’s all I’m good for. Don’t like it? Grow more hands and get out of my house.”

Lance mocked him and rolled his eyes. “Whatever, old man.”

Coran’s mustache twitched. 

“So, if you don’t um, do medic stuff anymore, then why do you have all the equipment?” Hunk asked. He watched as Coran worked on Shiro, but more than that, he watched as Shiro seemed to heal before his eyes. Allura’s added blood was giving him color back, and all the scratches and scrapes were growing pink and fading away. Hunk frowned and wondered if he was actually seeing what he was seeing, or if he was just that tired.

“Because no matter how many times I tell people I’m not a medic anymore, they still show up with half-dead werewolves,” he said as he shuffled around Shiro. He ran his hands over a healed scrape and arched an eyebrow. “This one is impressive. Where did you meet him?”

“It’s a long story,” Allura said tiredly. She shivered and pulled her sweater over her shoulders without jostling her wrist.

Coran turned around to look at Keith. The small omega didn’t seem to be healing at all, and he was dangerously pale. He shooed Lance away for a moment and using use old stethoscope listened to Keith’s heartbeat and breathing. Neither were stable. Lance had stopped most of the bleeding, but the omega wasn’t doing very well. Coran sighed. “He needs blood, too. Young Gun, can you handle the rest of this if I start a transfusion?”

Lance glared at him. “I got this Old Man,” he said, “my skills are a lot better than yours.”

Coran mocked him with his hand before turning to get the equipment he needed. As Coran did that, Hunk sat on the arm of the chair Allura was curled up in. She leaned against him for warmth and he sighed, dropping his free arm around her shoulders.

“This was the longest day of my life,” he said. “But everyone is alive. So I won’t complain anymore about it.”

Outside the east windows the sun suddenly shined between the buildings of the city landscape. It was bright gold and warm, spreading through the apartment and shining off mirrors and old framed photographs. Allura nodded. “I agree, Hunk.”

“It’s all over now,” Lance said after he started the IV for Coran and covered Keith with a blanket. He’d done all he could with the horrible shape Keith was in. He was absolutely positive there was internal bleeding, but without an actual surgical area, there was nothing he could do. He just had to pray that Keith’s healing abilities stopped the bleeding itself. 

Lance stood over his friends, covered in blood up to his elbows, shaking. He was tired and his head was throbbing. He took a second to wash up in the bathroom and came back to check on Shiro. The alpha was healing and breathing easy. He clipped off the IV and went to Allura, who was half-asleep on Hunk’s shoulder. “He’s out of the woods,” Lance said as he gently removed the IV and bandaged her arm. “Your blood was an enormous help.”

Allura smiled at him, reaching up to touch Lance’s cheek, before her fingers slowly slid up to the bandage around his head. “Thank you, Lance.”

Coran, standing near Keith and holding up the IV line, said, “You should get some sleep. The living room is just through there.”

After taking one last look at the two wolves, the trio headed into the living room. Allura curled up in a overstuffed chair while Lance and Hunk shared the sofa. In the other room Coran waited for Keith to regain some color before he stopped the IV. He checked his pulse and his breathing.

“Why do omegas have to heal so slow,” he sighed as he lifted a bandage. He moved the omega closer to the alpha, until they were touching, hoping that the bigger werewolf's heat would help keep him warm. He tucked the blanket around them both and sighed, pushing Keith's dirty hair from his face. “You’re on your own, kid. Don’t die on my floor.” 

He checked on Shiro, seeing that he was healing quickly and sleeping soundly, before going to bed.

…

Keith opened his eyes, blinking rapidly in the sunlight that was shining through the window. He stared at the ceiling and turned his head, trying to get the sun out of his eyes, and threw his arm up to shield himself. Pain rushed through him and he grunted, eyes snapping open as he halfway sat up, before collapsing back. Everything fucking hurt. From his ears to his toes. He let out a little whine and burrowed himself beneath the blankets. 

He yawned and pain prickled across his face. He raised his bruised hand to touch his face, only to find a large bandage there. _What the hell happened..._ he frowned as his brain, still sluggish from sleep, pieced together the events from the church. When the memories rushed back to him he sat up with a jolt and was about to throw himself from the bed, only one thing on his mind, when the bedroom door opened and Shiro walked in.

Keith exhaled and swallowed his heart back down into his chest. Relief washed through him and he sank back onto the bed.

Shiro rushed to the weak omega and dropped down onto his knees in front of him. He touched Keith’s pale face and leaned in. “Keith? You okay? What’s the matter?” 

“You’re alive,” Keith gasped. Shiro’s warm scent washed over him, heavy and potent, seeping into his skin. He shook his head, raising his shaking, bruised hands to touch Shiro’s face. “You’re alive,” he repeated.

Shiro smiled softly. “So are you. You… really scared us.” He let his hand drop to Keith’s shoulder. The young man was wearing a t-shirt and a small pair of shorts and he could see every bruise and wound. A lot of Keith’s injuries had healed, but he’d been hurt more inside than out, and his body had set to work to healing those before anything on the outside. It had been really scary for the first couple of days. “Do you remember anything?”

Keith frowned and rubbed his head. “I remember that you died.”

He swallowed hard. “And after that?” When Keith shook his head, Shiro nodded. “The fight with Sendak was three days ago.”

“Three days?” Keith gaped. “I’ve been out for that long?”

“In and out,” Shiro said as he leaned in to kiss Keith’s chin. “You woke a couple of times, but you were never coherent. I’m not surprised that you don’t remember. According to Coran we’re both really lucky to be alive.” Keith more than Shiro, but he wasn’t going to tell the omega that. He leaned into kiss his neck, then his collarbone. He sighed, pressing his nose against the steady pulse in the omega’s neck. Keith’s scent was light and sweet, and when Shiro took a deep breath, he could taste it on his tongue. He’d been so close to losing Keith that...

“Who’s Coran?” Keith asked as he trembled beneath Shiro’s gentle attentions. He opened his legs and let Shiro lean between them, his arm slipping around his body. The big alpha continued to spread soft little kisses on Keith’s neck and shoulders.

“Allura’s friend,” Shiro explained before he managed to pry himself away from Keith. He rose from the floor in favor or sitting on the bed with him. He set his arm around Keith’s shoulders and leaned in to smell his hair. “He’s a werewolf medic and save our asses, but it still took a lot of time to heal. I didn’t get out of bed until yesterday morning. And I’m still healing in some places.”

Keith stared at the wall in front of him. “Sendak is dead.”

“You did that,” Shiro said warmly in Keith’s ear. “You did that, Keith. You saved the pack.”

Keith let out a shaky breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. He tried his hardest not to cry, but when Shiro pulled him into his lap he lost it and started to sob. _It was over!_ All of it. There was no monster lurking in the alley, stalking them, waiting to leap out and kill them. He pressed his face into Shiro’s neck and sputtered, his voice caught between a laugh and a sob.

Shiro cradled him close and kissed the top of his head. “You’re my hero, Keith,” he whispered. “My champion.”

Even though he could feel Shiro beneath him and around him, his heat welcome and his scent overwhelming, Keith needed to be sure that this wasn’t a dream or leading into a nightmare. He turned his head, nuzzling at Shiro’s chin, before he abruptly turned, straddling the man’s muscular thighs, and kissed him. It was hot and wet, Keith licking into Shiro’s mouth which parted in surprise, while his fingers gripped the alpha’s wide shoulders. Keith let out a needy moan and Shiro gasped.

Shiro broke the kiss with a surprised sound. “Keith, you’re still really hurt--”

“Then be gentle,” Keith whined as he hauled Shiro in for another wet kiss. His hands worked at Shiro’s shirt and their lips parted so Keith could tug it off. He ran his hands over Shiro’s chest and down over his stomach, hands gently caressing over new scars. He kissed down Shiro’s neck, nipping and sucking, knowing damn well he was acting needy and desperate, but he didn’t give a fuck. He spread his legs wide, knees sinking into the bed, rubbing himself down onto Shiro until he felt his cock against his ass.

“Slow down, baby,” Shiro groaned as he turned and laid Keith down across the bed, his head in the pillows. Slowly he pulled away his omega’s clothing and leaned down to lick into Keith’s mouth. The omega moaned and submitted easily. Shiro slowly moved down to ravish his neck, which had Keith melting against him and whimpering, and then gently nibbled down over bruises and wounds that were still healing. He dropped his hand between Keith’s legs, which fell open for him, and slowly stroked his cock until he was hard and twitching.

“Shiro, please,” Keith cried as he spread his legs wider and thrust up. “Please just fuck me…”

He _needed_ to feel Shiro inside of him, he had to know that this was all real, that they were both alive and this wasn’t a dream. He whined and begged throughout Shiro’s gentle prepping, gasping as the man licked up and down his cock as his fingers spread him open. It seemed to take longer than normal, but maybe it was just because Keith was acting so needy. He dropped his head back, arching his back whimpering.

Then Shiro was losing his jeans and settling between Keith’s legs. “I’m here, baby,” he purred. Keith’s omega scent was somehow more powerful than ever before, mixed with the desperate need to mate. Shiro felt the animal inside him rising up, attracted to the eager scent of his mate. He closed his eyes for a moment, catching his breath, before that first push.

“Yes,” Keith whined at the first little thrust, “I need you in me. I have to--to feel you in me.”

Shiro peppered his face with kisses as he continued with the first, slow thrust. Keith was unbelievably tight and Shiro would have preferred to have gone a little slower, but Keith pulled him down and bucked his hips, slamming them together and stealing Shiro’s breath. He closed his eyes, shaking, and listened to Keith as he choked on a sob. 

“Are you okay?” he asked worriedly as he kissed the tears from Keith’s face. 

“I just had to make sure this wasn’t a dream,” he said weakly. His lip trembled and his face flushed, and he looked like he was going to cry again. 

Shiro frowned before his mouth went ‘oh.’ He stared down at the omega, who had never looked so small and vulnerable. His heart started to pound and the need to protect rushed through him like a wave. The wolf inside him echoed his feelings, and ached to claim their mate. Shiro nuzzled against Keith’s neck. “I’m right here. This isn’t a dream.” He gave his hips a slow, lazy thrust, making Keith’s mouth drop open and suck in a surprised breath. “I’m afraid you’re stuck with me, baby.”

Keith’s voice was somewhere between a cry and a little laugh. He touched Shiro’s face with his hands, tracing the sharp angles of his jaw, over his full lips, up his cheeks and across the pink scar over his nose. Shiro nuzzled at Keith’s slender fingers and kissed them to his palm and his wrist. Keith shivered and cupped the man’s face. “I love you, Takashi.”

“I love you,” Shiro echoed tearfully with another thrust. He rolled his hips against him, slowly and patiently, telling Keith how much he loved with pampering, wet kisses. Beneath him Keith dissolved into a mess of tears and little moans, his body alive and hot and aching for more. Every thrust form Shiro sent sparks through him and Keith can do nothing else other than beg for more and lay back, spread open and submissive, moving his hips in time with each of Shiro’s thrusts.

But it was here, in that moment, buried deep inside his lover and cradled between his legs, that Shiro realized how much _he_ needed this, too. To bury his face in Keith’s hair, to kiss his lips; taste his sweat on his tongue. To be wrapped up in Keith’s omega scent, which marked him and left a distinct aroma on his skin. He shuddered, emotions rushing through him, and pressed his nose against Keith’s throat. 

Keith was here, he was real, he was alive; it was his voice that pulled him back from death.

“I need more,” Keith whimpered as Shiro buried himself deep inside him as far as he could. “More… please, please.”

Shiro kissed at Keith’s neck and picked up the pace, driving into him harder, watching Keith’s face for pain, but only seeing raw pleasure. He groaned as his mate trailed his fingers over Shiro’s chest and shoulders before reaching back to grasp the headboard. Shiro took it as a sign to move faster, and started pound into Keith, moving him back and forth on the sheets. Keith’s mouth opened in a silent moan, his eyes closed and thighs gripping Shiro tight between them.

“Yes, _yes yes_ ,” Keith moaned. He tensed, toes curling, fire rushing through him, and he came with a loud sob and his back arching off the bed. Above him Shiro let out a low growl and tucked his face into the hollow of Keith’s neck, his breath hot and moist as he came with Keith’s body clamped around him. He groaned, filling him with his seed. He leaned his weight on his arm, to keep from hurting the omega beneath him, while he caught his breath.

Keith let out a contented sigh and let his arms fall around Shiro.

“Now do you believe that all this is real?” Shiro panted as he kissed at Keith’s lips.

“Yeah,” he laughed. He leaned up to kiss Shiro before collapsing with a gasp. “I think we ripped out all my stitches.”


	18. Home

“You’re not actually keeping that awful chair, are you?” Lance asked as he wrinkled his nose in distaste at Keith’s old red recliner from where it sat in the apartment, surrounded by unpacked boxes and furniture belonging to both him and Shiro.

“I didn’t ask for your opinion, Lance,” Keith snapped as he moved around him, heading for the bedroom.

“No, but you should,” Lance called after him. His tan skin was still colored in bruises and there was a large bandage across the gash on his forehead. Other than that though, he was feeling pretty good. 

“Lance,” Shiro said with feigned exhaustion as he stepped out of the kitchen, “go and help Hunk.”

He saluted and headed out the door.

Shiro shook his head and smiled, looking around the apartment. It was moving-in day for him and Keith, and Hunk as well who was moving into Keith’s apartment one floor down. After the death of Sendak, Lance had moved back into his old apartment, something he and Pidge were both pretty happy for. Pidge said Lance would always be her best bro, but if she had had to deal with his ridiculous morning routine one more day she may have killed him.

Pidge stepped into the apartment, crutch under one arm, box under the other. “I got a box of bedroom stuff,” she announced.

“I’ll take it,” he said as he jumped to take it. “Pidge. Why are you carrying anything?” Thanks to Matt’s Otherkin doctor, Pidge was in pretty good shape. She still needed to use a crutch when walking, but otherwise she was healed up and in good spirits. It was good to see her back to her normal self, and Shiro had told her that many times already.

She wrinkled her nose at him. “So what am I supposed to do? Bark orders at Lance and Hunk?”

“Sure, why not?”

Pidge tilted her head back and forth before agreeing, “Okay!” 

Shiro walked down to the bedroom where Keith was currently unpacking a box of his clothing and hanging it on his side of the closet. The bedroom was big enough for Shiro’s king bed and both their dressers. He paused, smiling at Keith. He was dressed casually, his favorite black skinny jeans and a red tank top, his hair was up in a messy bun, and he was wearing black fingerless gloves. When Keith turned to look at Shiro, he saw the pink, puffy scar on his face. There were bruises on his face yet and on his shoulders and arm. He was healing a lot slower than Shiro, something the alpha just had to accept.

Shiro set the box down on the bed and opened it, and pulled out a little red plush lion. He grinned and held it up.

“He goes here,” Keith said as he took the lion and placed him on the dresser next to lamp and two stacked boxes. He turned around and stopped. Shiro was watching him with warm, dark eyes. He blushed as warmth spread over him. Shiro had been unbelievably attentive ever since he woke up. Not that Keith was complaining. “What?”

Shiro shrugged and looked around. The windows were all open, letting in a decent breeze on a surprisingly cool day in a normally hot and humid city. They could hear the hum of traffic from the street and somewhere down below, Pidge barking orders at Lance and Hunk’s jovial laughter.

“What do you think?” he asked, “Is this home?”

“Any place with you is home,” Keith said.

“I know I’ve said it, like a dozen times already today, but I love you,” he said.

Keith blushed and turned away. “You’re so incredibly sappy.” Shiro’s strong arm circled him and the alpha leaned down, mouthing at his neck. Keith leaned back against him, weightless and warm. “But I can get used to that, I guess.”

…

Keith never thought in his life that he would be comfortable in such a situation, but here he was, drink in one hand, sitting in Shiro’s lap, in an apartment filled with people who were drinking and currently watching a very intense game of Jenga between Hunk, Lance, and Pidge. Allura and Shay were sitting on the couch, watching quietly, while Matt walked around the group purposely trying to break their concentration and trash-talking.

Behind him Shiro snorted and rested his chin on Keith’s shoulder. “This may be the dumbest thing I’ve ever watched in my life,” he murmured before taking a long drink of the cocktail Lance had made.

“It was your idea to have a party,” Keith reminded him as he leaned back against him. They fit together perfectly. Keith, delicate and lithe, his back to Shiro’s wide chest and his ass sitting in his lap. When Shiro shifted they rubbed in all the right places, and when he nuzzled at his omega’s neck Keith sigh warmly and sank back against him.

Shiro huffed a laugh against Keith’s neck. He nuzzled against the soft flesh there before leaving a couple wet kisses. “Well, it sounded like a good idea at the--”

“JENGA BITCHES!” Pidge screamed as she leaped to her feet.

Shay arched and eyebrow and looked at Allura. “I don’t think they know how to play jenga. She didn’t win.”

“I think they’re too drunk to notice,” Allura giggled. 

Either way, Pidge did a celebration dance around the apartment before coming back with a different game. She had lugged her entire collection of board games up to the werewolves’ new apartment. Hunk cleared the table of scattered Jenga pieces before Pidge dropped a box on the table. Lance snorted and Hunk shook his head. “You brought that?”

“What is it?” Allura asked as she leaned forward and placed her hand on Lance’s shoulder.

“It’s called 5 Second Rule,” Pidge said with a snicker. She set out a timer and a pile of cards. “You have five seconds to come up with the question for the card.”

“To answer the question on the card,” Hunk corrected.

“I said that,” Pidge said as she adjusted her glasses. 

Keith’s eyes narrowed. That sounded way too tame for Pidge. “What’s the twist?”

The shapeshifter looked up, green eyes gleaming. “They’re _dirty_ questions.”

Behind him Shiro snorted and downed his drink. “Let’s do it.”

“Ooooh, Shiro’s game!” Lance laughed. His face was red and he kept looking back at Allura. Next to him Hunk was sitting with his back to the couch, Shay’s legs on either side of him, her fingers petting through his hair.

“We’re all playing,” Pidge said as she shuffled the cards. “Everyone, park it! Matt, stop eating all the chicken wings and get over here.”

With everyone settled around the coffee table, Pidge shuffled the cards and hummed, “Now who goes first?”

Keith had a sinking feeling, and he knew before she even turned to him that she was going to pick him. He groaned. “Fine.” He finished his drink, some red fruity drink with far too much vodka in it, and reached for the deck. “What do I do?”

“Pick a card, the timer starts, and you answer the question.”

Keith sighed heavily. He grabbed a card and turned it over. Behind him Shiro laughed loudly and Pidge hit the timer.

_NAME 3 WAYS: To Have and Orgasm._

Keith turned red and shook his head. “Fuck, no, I can’t.”

“Boo!” Pidge howled.

“Do it!” Hunk yelled.

“We know you’ve had them, we’ve heard you!” Lance added.

Keith glared at them before growling. “Um--you can--have sex, get a blow job and jerk off.”

The timer dinged long before he finished and everyone groaned. “Wow, boring,” Matt laughed.

Coran laughed. “Very creative, Keith.”

Allura shook her head. “Come on, next person.”

Behind him Shiro was laughing, face pressed into Keith’s hair. “Don’t laugh too hard, you’re next,” he snapped.

Shiro looked up to Pidge, who was standing there like some kind of trickster god, a glint in her eyes and smirk on her face. Shiro swallowed hard and picked up a card. He turned it over and grunted. “For fuck’s sake.”

“Five seconds!” Pidge announced.

_NAME 3: Erogenous Zones._

“Neck, inner thigh, and nipples,” Shiro blurted out.

The group howled and laughed. “So are those your’s, or Keith’s?” Matt asked.

Keith sighed. “I hate all of you.”

“That would be Keith’s,” Allura laughed.

He stared at her. “Traitor.”

Shiro snorted and hugged Keith back against him. “Sorry, baby.”

“I need another drink,” Keith said as he got up and headed into the kitchen. There were bottles and cans everywhere, along with platters of food and chips and dips. He picked through the food first, surprised that there were any buffalo wings left, before pouring himself a glass of whatever Hunk had mixed together in a pitcher. It was pink and blue and smelled really potent.

Shiro joined him a second later, but went for water. “Seriously, Keith, are you having fun?”

He leaned back against the island. He spared a look into the living room where everyone was laughing and Shay was blushing before hiding her face into Hunk’s neck, who had gone from the floor to sitting with her on the couch. 

“Enough fun to know that we’ll never have another party,” he said before taking a drink. He snorted and coughed. “Ugh.”

Shiro huffed a laugh. He pulled Keith close and leaned down to kiss the fruity drink from his lips. “Mm.”

They had officially moved in yesterday, and only today had mostly finished unpacking and putting everything away. The office was devoid of all furniture but a futon that Lance had given them, and there were boxes in there that needed unpacking. The apartment was a mixture of both of their places: Shiro’s houseplants and family photos, and Keith’s random assortment of shit that he’d collected over the years. Their combined DVD and record collections took up one entire media cabinet and Shiro’s books took up even more room. Most of the furniture, rugs, and houseware items were Shiro’s, they had simply been in better shape as opposed to most of Keith’s stuff which had been on the edge of breaking or was already broke and non-functional.

Keith pushed up onto his toes and wrapped his arm around Shiro, pulling him down for a kiss, when he realized they weren’t alone. He frowned, sliding down onto his toes and both turned to look at Coran, who was leaning on the island that seperated the kitchen from the living room and staring at them.

“Hey, uh, Coran,” Shiro said as he let his hand slide down Keith’s back.

“I was just thinking about something,” the man said as he stepped around into the kitchen. He shooed Keith out of the way and turned Shiro so he could look at the stump of his arm. He hummed and pulled a measuring tape from his pocket along with a pen and notebook. He took measurements and took notes. “I think I could build you a prosthetic for this arm if you wanted one.”

Shiro felt all the alcohol drain out of his body and he was suddenly staring at the man with wide-eyes. “Wh-what?”

“Yeah!” Coran laughed as he patted Shiro’s heavy shoulder. “I’ve built prosthetics before, it’s a good way to spend my spare time, and the science and magic in the Otherworld is much more evolved than the human. I think I could whip up a fully-functioning arm for you in no time. What do you say?”

“Y-yeah,” Shiro sputtered. He looked to Keith. “What do you think?”

“If it’s what you want, do it,” Keith said as he took Shiro’s hand. 

He nodded and turned back to the redhead, eyes teary and face flushed. “That would be amazing, Coran. I’ll pay you whatever you want.”

Coran shook his head. “On the house.”

“Why?” Shiro asked.

He gestured into the living room, where Allura was laughing and leaning on Pidge, the two of them giggling about whatever Lance had just said. “I haven’t seen Allura this happy in ages,” he said with a warm smile. “It’s good that she has all you as friends, as pack. That alone is good enough for me.”

Shiro had a feeling that Coran and Allura’s relationship was a lot deeper than just knowing each other from the auto body shop, but he knew it wasn’t his business to pry. From what he had learned, werewolves could live hundreds of years, and somewhere in those many lifetimes she and Coran had known each other. 

“Oy! You guys loitering! Get back here for round two!” Pidge shouted as she stood on the coffee table and pointed at them.

“That tiny shapeshifter is a fireball,” Coran chuckled.

“You have no idea,” Keith sighed. He tugged on Shiro’s hand and headed back into the living room.

In the end, the game ended up being really fun. By the end of the night they had gone through all the alcohol, the appetizers that Hunk had made. They made their way through most of the board games and ended the night with Card Against Humanity.

By the time it was almost four-in-the-morning most everyone was pretty out of it. Coran and Shay called an Uber to share on the way home, while everyone else found a place to crash in the apartment. Pidge curled up on the couch, not wanting to take the time to go down one floor to her place, neither did Hunk, while Allura claimed the futon in the office.

Shiro scooped Keith up and clumsily carried him to their bedroom, kicking the door shut behind him.

“How are you not completely smashed?” Keith asked sleepily, his words slurred from one too many drinks.

“I didn’t drink as much as you?” Shiro answered with a laugh. He tripped and the two fell onto the bed with a grunt. 

“Maybe you did,” Keith giggled loudly. He closed his arms around Shiro and pulled him onto the bed before he could fall to the floor. The big alpha grunted and collapsed on Keith, pressing him into the mattress. 

Shiro laughed loudly and hid his face against Keith’s neck. He started to kiss there. “Maybe I did.”

“Roll over, you’re too heavy,” Keith said. After Shiro rolled to the side, he maneuvered himself against Shiro’s wide chest and into his arm They shared wet, sloppy kisses; giggling while bumping noses and nipping at each other’s lips. Shiro’s hand ran lazily up and down Keith’s back and down the back of his pants. Keith meanwhile kissed down Shiro’s scarred neck, leaving behind soft bruises and little nips. He was pushing one hand down into his pants when Shiro giggled and slumped back.

He frowned, blinking rapidly, before Shiro started to snore. Keith shook his head, leaning over Shiro, running his hand over the scars on his neck from Sendak’s teeth. Breath catching, he cupped the man’s face before leaning down and placing a kiss on his forehead. He then wiggled out of his jeans and pulled the blanket up over the two of them. Shiro’s arm automatically pulled Keith against him and he curled up there, passing out.

…

“Ten bucks says they’re in there fucking,” Matt snickered from the floor where he, Hunk and Lance lounged.

“We’d hear it by now,” Hunk argued.

“You know too much about their sex life,” Matt slurred with a laugh.

Lance groaned. “At least they have one.”

Matt tilted his head. “Not getting any, Lancelot?”

He snorted. “I could if I wanted to. But… the girl I like… she’s not into me.”

Hunk groaned, hand slapping against his forehead. “Not this again. Just ask Allura out!”

“Shut up!” Lance hissed just as loudly. “She’s asleep in the other room!”

Matt giggled. “You love the werewolf-chick? Bold move, Lance!”

“Shut up, all of you,” Lance grumbled as he picked at the rug he was sitting on. “It would be different if that stupid werewolf would have just bitten me. Then I would be a werewolf, too. And then maybe she’d want me…”

Hunk collapsed onto his back, staring at the ceiling. “I don’t have time for these dramatics,” he grumbled before passing out.

Matt shrugged. “You sure you want a werewolf bitch? They’re kinda um, moody.”

“Didn’t you marry a coyote shifter?” Lance snapped with a glare. “How’s that different?”

“Moon fluctuations don’t mess with us,” Matt said. “I’m just looking out for you. Find a nice human, or a mermaid like Hunk.”

“Shay is not… oh my god,” he gasped. 

“Didn’t you have a huge crush on The Little Mermaid?” Matt taunted with a cheshire grin.

Lance looked back to make sure Hunk was still asleep before focusing his attention on Matt. He thought Pidge was a troublemaker but he realized that it was both the Holts who liked to stir up trouble. He glared. “Okay, conversation over, you can pass out now.”

Matt snickered. “You’ll find a nice one, Lance.”

_I already did,_ he sighed.

Eventually Matt collapsed onto the couch with Pidge and Lance was left sitting alone in the living room. He wasn’t tired but he was too drunk to leave. Instead he stood up and started to clean up. He shuffled around sleeping bodies and gathered up glasses and bottles and cans. He did the dishes and sorted the bottles and cans into the right recycle bags.

He was just thinking of curling up in the recliner and sleeping, when the door to office with the futon opened and Allura stepped out. He stopped and blushed. She was radiant, even if she was still tipsy and her cheeks were red.

“Lance?” Allura asked as she stepped over Hunk. “Why are you still awake?”

He shrugged. “I couldn’t find a spot to sleep so I did the dishes.”

She laughed. Lance followed the she-wolf into the kitchen where she poured herself a glass of water. “Well, come sleep with me.”

Lance choked. “What?”

“Sleep, I said,” she laughed as she drank the water.

Then she was taking his hand and leading him to the office. The futon was small and uncomfortable, but Lance didn’t care, because he found himself on his back with Allura curled up against him. He laid there, completely frozen, staring at her sleeping face. His heart thumped painfully and butterflies circled his stomach. He focused his eyes on the ceiling because he was starting to feel anxious and if he got too anxious while this drunk he’d vomit.

And if there was one thing girls didn’t like, it was being puked on. 

When the world stopped spinning and Lance could breathe again, he closed his arms around the woman curled up against his chest and closed his eyes. Maybe he shouldn’t let being human bother him so much. Maybe… he could just ask her out.

“Yes, Lance,” Allura slurred sleepily.

Lance started. “Wh-what?” his voice cracking in surprise.

“Yes, I’ll go out with you,” she laughed.

“I didn’t--say that--out loud?” he stuttered.

“Mm-hm,” she sighed, “now go to sleep.”

He slumped back, eyes open and on the ceiling. Then he grinned.

…

“So, if I do anything wrong, just bite me, okay?”

“You aren’t going to do anything wrong,” Keith said from the passenger seat. He glanced at Shiro. “You look better than you did last month.”

Shiro snorted. “I don’t think anything can top that transformation in the bar,” Shiro said, remembering with a little shudder. “Or the pain from… everything else.”

Keith touched the scar on his face. “Right.”

“But I can feel it,” Shiro added, “the moon calling to me. It’s different this time. It’s… comforting.”

He smiled. “I can hear it, too.”

They parked in the overgrown yard outside the farmhouse. They still had an hour before moonrise but Shiro had wanted arrive early, just incase he was a vomiting mess like last month. And if not, then he had other things planned. Shiro tugged off his shirt and slipped out of his shoes, walking barefoot through the grass and tilting his head up to the sky. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. It was so quiet out here. All he could hear was the sound of crickets chirping and the wind through the trees along the creek. 

He turned around to Keith, who was leaning back against the car, in nothing but low-hanging sweatpants.

Shiro sighed. “Look at you.”

Keith tilted his head. “What?”

“You’re just beautiful,” he said as he walked up to the omega.

Keith blushed. “There you go again.”

“I’m not sorry,” he laughed. He leaned down, rubbing their noses together, before kissing along Keith’s chin and up his jaw. Keith leaned into the attention, sighing softly, and sliding his hand up over Shiro’s shoulders. When the alpha started to mouth across his neck, and lick against it, he sighed happily.

Shiro, having planned ahead for this opportunity, spread a heavy blanket out on the grass before lowering Keith down onto it. He kissed down his neck, worshipped his chest, paying special attention to all his new scars. He slid his pants off and dropped his head between his legs, taking Keith into his mouth. The omega moaned, his voice loud and echoing around them.

With a sharp whine Keith pulled away. “You don’t get to have all the fun,” he said breathlessly before tackling him to the blanket. He grinned as he straddled Shiro, hair wild around his head and violet eyes alight with inner fire. He kissed down Shiro’s face, licking at his chin and neck, down his chest, before pulling off his pants. He toyed with him at first, running his hand up and down the man’s large cock, petting and teasing as he licked at the new scars across his stomach.

Shiro let out a low, rusty groan. Even out here in the country his thick alpha scent clogged the air up between them. Keith sucked in a deep breath, shuddering at little sparks ran through his body. He nuzzled his way down Shiro’s stomach and over his pelvis, until he finally dropped his head to the erection that had been twitching for his attention.

“ _Yes_ , baby,” Shiro groaned.

A big, warm hand tangled in Keith’s hair, but didn’t force him down or hold him, it was only there to pet graciously through his hair and rub the back of his neck. While listening to Shiro’s deep little moans, Keith slowly sucked down his heavy cock. 

He let out a little moan as goosebumps danced across his skin. He could hear the moon calling him, could feel the light rushing through his veins like sparks. It wasn’t time to change yet, but he was already feeling empowered and alive. And Keith realized, with a little start as he lifted his head and kissed generously at the crown of Shiro’s cock, it was because of the alpha wolf beneath him. This was how full moons were meant to be spent. With the one you loved, out in the wild, raw and untamed and full of life. He lifted his head, tears sparkling in his eyes.

“I feel it, too,” Shiro murmured as he sat up and caught Keith in a wet kiss, licking his way into his soft mouth. He pulled Keith into his lap, his hand doing down beneath him with the lube and he sank his fingers in deep. Keith whimpered and gasped, sitting heavily in Shiro’s lap, their erections caught between their bellies. “Nn, you’re so fucking… tight…”

Between sweat and tears and sparks of pleasure, they moved together until the moon was on the horizon. Keith sat in Shiro’s lap, legs spread wide, knees digging into the blanket, with Shiro loudly rutting up into him. Keith draped his arms over Shiro’s shoulders and whined as the man ravished his chest, biting his nipples and mouthing across his neck. Keith whimpered, clawing at Shiro’s sweaty back as the man continued to fuck up into him. 

“God, I love your ass,” Shiro groaned as he squeezed Keith’s ass cheek. 

“I hadn’t… noticed…” Keith panted as he roughly slammed down and whined. Had they ever been this connected?

Shiro growled, slamming up particularly hard. He licked at the sweat running down Keith’s neck and bit his neck against his hammering pulse. Surrounded by Keith’s sweet scent, he felt a monster growing inside him. His eyes bled black and his teeth grew sharp. With his arm wrapped possessively around the smaller omega in his lap, he let out a low rumbling growl.

It was one of those moments where being afraid of Shiro would have been easy for Keith. Staring into his wolf-eyes, pinned against rolling muscle and absolute power, it would have made perfect sense for Keith to be suddenly afraid. But there was no fear inside him, just like there was no aggression in Shiro that would ever be directed at the omega in his lap. So when Keith cupped Shiro’s face and leaned in close, he was give a passionate kiss.

“How does it feel?” Shiro grunted as Keith wrapped his legs around him.

“Good,” he whined. “So good—“

Nothing made Shiro more pleased than listening to his mate’s sounds of pleasure. He’d give Keith whatever he wanted, however he wanted it, just to see him happy and and euphoric. He shifted them down onto the blanket, Keith on his back and Shiro over him. He leaned his weight on his hand next to Keith’s head and he leaned down to kiss him again.

It was what Keith needed to crest. He cried into the kiss, arms around Shiro, hanging onto him and never wanting to let go. He heard his alpha’s groan and felt his body shake, before warmth flooded him. Keith whined sharply and bit Shiro in the neck. He tasted blood and sweat beneath his tongue as he clung to Shiro through their orgasm.

Shiro laughed and lowered himself to the ground. Keith was still clinging to him with all his limbs and was licking the blood from the bite he had just given him.

“Mm,” Shiro sighed. “I was just thinking that the one scar I didn’t have was from my feisty little mate.”

Keith blushed darkly. “I’m sorry. I just… I wanted to.” Knowing that Shiro would carry his mark? It excited him.

“I should bite you next time,” Shiro said as he playfully nipped Keith on the nose.

Keith laughed and wiggled. They were still connected and he was hot and wet inside. And he wanted a second round immediately, but knew they would never finish before moonrise. He instead tucked his face under Shiro’s jaw and purred softly. “I’d love to bear to your mark,” he answered softly.

Shiro shuddered. He gave his hips a little thrust before he moved to pull out. However. “Are you going to let me go?” 

“No,” he murmured from where he had secured himself.

Shiro spread soft kisses over Keith’s shoulders and face before the omega finally let go, and it was only to the demands of the moon that made him do it.

Keith rolled onto his back with a loud moan, his body jerking and breaking, but there was no pain this time. The change rushed through him in a wave of pleasure, the moon thrumming in his ears. Next to him Shiro pressed his forehead into the ground as his body shook and heated, blood dribbling down from nose, until the humming in his ears stopped, and he was standing up on three legs and shaking out his fur.

Shiro turned his head to the small black wolf sitting on the blanket, staring at him with an curious expression.

Shiro grinned, tongue hanging from his mouth. _Hey there, beautiful._

The omega’s tail wagged behind him. He huffed and stood, stepping forward and rubbed against the alpha like an affectionate cat. Shiro leaned back, fur against fur, tails wagging slowly, ears relaxed and eyes full of light. He huffed and gave the omega a push before tackling him. Instead of biting at his neck, he nuzzled against him and rubbed his head all over Keith’s neck and chest.

_You’re seriously scent-marking me?_ Keith laughed as the alpha rolled onto him. _Who else do I smell like?_

Shiro chuckled and licked him across the nose. _It’s a two-way road, I’m making sure I smell like you, too._

Keith licked him back before head-butting Shiro and knocking him off. He tackled the larger wolf and sat across him, tail wagging and ears perked. Shiro nipped at him and Keith nipped back, and soon they ended up rolling through the grass, snuffling and letting out little playful barks, mouthing at each other’s fur and pushing each other to the ground.

_This is so much better than anything else,_ Shiro decided as he wagged his tail and let Keith tackle him to the ground. There was no biting or snarling, no overwhelming alpha instincts telling him that he needed to pin teeth and break his spirit. It was just play and touch.

He rolled to his feet and shook the grass from his grey fur. Shiro limped across the yard, head and ears tilted up to the sky. He glanced back to Keith once before throwing his head back and howling. The sound cut through the night air and silenced everything from birds to crickets. Everything, save for Keith, who echoed him with his own sweet howl.

Tingles rushed through the big alpha and he answered the smaller omega, their song intertwining; the haunting melody echoing through the countryside.

Keith stepped up to the larger wolf and pushed against him. _Let’s go hunting._

The big grey alpha wolf shifted on his paws. _Are you sure?_

Keith rubbed against him, before nuzzling up beneath Shiro’s chin. He gave him a lick. _Absolutely._

Shiro nodded and followed Keith through the grass until they were walking out into a wide open field. 

With the omega leading him, Shiro was content to follow. This was what life as a wolf was all about. Love, respect, and conquering their inner instincts that were tied to a long held pack hierarchy. Shiro would always be bigger and stronger, but he would always submit to Keith. Because he wanted to, because he loved him.

_What are we hunting?_ Shiro asked after a mile.

_Hmm, I was thinking… you!_ And Keith whipped around to tag Shiro on the chest with his nose before bounding away.

Shiro let a sharp yip and bolted after him. At Pidge’s suggestion he had spent some of his free time (and slow times at work) watching videos of three-legged dogs on YouTube. He hadn’t managed to change again since their fight with Sendak, so he hadn’t put anything to the test, but he pulled up all those memories now.

Sure, he was a hell of a lot bigger and heavier than those dogs, but he was also stronger. Focusing his weight on his from left leg and his back legs, he pushed himself into a run. 

He face-planted, but shot immediately to his feet. After shaking the grass off his face he looked up and found that Keith was gone. The big alpha lashed his tail before dropping his nose to the ground and sniffing.

His mate’s scent was easy to follow. Keith might as well left a trail of stardust behind him because Shiro could almost see the heavy perfume lingering in the air, and it took him straight to the omega wolf.

Leaving the open field Shiro picked his way around trees and heavy ground cover before he stepped down to the creek. He stopped for a drink, lapping up cool, clean water, before he felt eyes on him.

He raised his head and saw Keith sitting up on the bank, his lower body wet from swimming and sparkling in the moonlight that was shining through the trees. 

_Wow…_ Shiro stepped through the water and slowly up the bank. Keith just watched him, his eyes burning with the intensity of a star. Shiro felt a rush through his veins and his heart started to pound.

The black wolf tilted his head back and forth. _What?_

_You’ll just think I’m sappy,_ Shiro teased after limping up the bank and sitting down.

The black wolf grinned. _Maybe I’m getting used to that._

_I was just thinking that if none of this had happened, I wouldn’t be here now, looking at the most beautiful person in the world,_ Shiro said, _and also that… you’re it!_

He shoved his head against the small wolf and sent him tumbling backwards. With a bark Shiro whirled and ran.

Keith tumbled head over paws down the bank and into the water. He growled and laughed. _You ass!_ He shouted before shooting through the water and after his mate who had disappeared into the shadows. It was very much like last month, with the huge exception that Keith felt no fear as he creeped through the trees and ferns. 

The first thing Keith noticed was a familiar scent trail that lead in a circle. _Nope, no falling for that again._ And so he went around and into the trees, using his ears instead of his nose.

He found Shiro crouched behind a fallen tree. With a wiggle Keith leaped and tackled the large wolf. Shiro rolled into his back, paws in the air, as the smaller wolf plopped down on him, tail wagging and expression smug. 

_I didn’t think you’d fall for that twice,_ Shiro chuckled up at him.

Keith reached down and licked across the scar on Shiro’s muzzle. Then he jumped to his feet and took off. 

With a heavy huff Shiro pushed to his legs and darted after him. They ran until it was close to dawn then returned to the car and the blanket still lying in the grass. Shiro layed down, panting and legs aching, but feeling sore and tired in a wonderful way. He was just figuring out the best way to lie curled up, when Keith dropped down onto him and maneuvered himself against Shiro, so they were curled up in a ball together.

Shiro chuckled. _What are you doing?_

Keith flicked his ears and tucked himself closer to Shiro. He could feel his heartbeat against his body, was covered in his heavy scent, and was buried in the alpha’s heavy warmth. _Just seeing if I fit here._

Shiro let out a little howl before licking across Keith’s ears. _You’re a perfect fit._

Keith was glad to hear it, because he was not moving. Shiro rested his chin on Keith’s hip and closed his eyes. And lying there, waiting for the sun to rise, with the love of his life curled up against him, Shiro decided that the entire nightmare he had endured was worth it. He’d lose his arm a thousand times if it meant being with Keith. If meant being a werewolf with Keith. He nuzzled against him, a deep rumbling purr in his chest, with a heart so full that he thought he’d burst.

…

Keith shuffled out of the bedroom, head tilted up, eyes mostly closed, following his nose to the kitchen where Shiro was currently humming as he prepared breakfast. Already dressed for work, Shiro was wearing black slacks, a white button-up with a simple black tie. Keith meanwhile hadn’t bothered to find his missing sock and was wearing a tiny pair of black boxers, and a rainbow tank top that Shiro had bought for him. His hair was still pulled back in a ponytail from last night but it was a complete mess.

“It lives,” Shiro laughed when Keith shuffled into the kitchen. 

“I smell bacon,” Keith yawned as he walked straight into Shiro’s wide back and leaned there.

“Bacon, maple pancakes, and coffee,” Shiro said. He was getting pretty good at cooking with one hand, but he would be lying if he said he wasn’t eager for Coran to finish with the protesteic he’d been working on. He turned around. “Go sit down.”

Keith instead wrapped his arms around Shiro and nuzzled into his chest. “Mm.”

He laughed and leaned down to kiss at Keith’s cheek, which made him look up, and then kissed his lips. “How late were you up last night gaming with Pidge?”

“Uhm, I dunno, three?” Keith mumbled. Kiss received, he let Shiro go and went to pour them both coffee and set the table.

Shiro shook his head. “And?”

“She kicked my ass,” he said before sitting down at the table. The windows were open and the cool autumn wind was blowing in. It was just chill enough to make him wish he had grabbed a sweater. He waited until Shiro had taken his seat across from him and then he served them both breakfast from the platter of pancakes and bacon Shiro had placed on the table. “How the hell did you beat her?”

Shiro blew on his nails and buffed them against his shirt. “Talant, baby.”

Keith glared at him playfully. “Care to show me some of that talent?”

“I wanted to last night but you were too busy getting your ass handed to you.”

Keith snorted into his coffee. “She kept egging me on.”

“She has you whipped,” Shiro chuckled as he ate.

Keith smiled as he cut into his pancakes after adding blueberries and syrup to the top. He looked at Shiro as he ate, his eyes focused on the food in front of him. He felt his heart swell and his body warm. Everyday he woke up snuggled against the man he loved, then they shared breakfast and kisses, before separating to go to their respective jobs. In the evening whoever was home first made supper, or ordered-in, and then they spent the evening together. Keith would have liked to have spent it being lazy on the couch, but Shiro always insisted on going for a run to keep in shape. And on Sunday mornings he woke Keith bright and early for a run in the park, weight-lifting at the gym, and then brunch at Hunk’s restaurant.

Shiro looked up, blinking at Keith. He arched an eyebrow. “What? Is something wrong with the pancakes?”

“No,” he said as he rubbed his eyes. “I was just thinking… how lucky I am.” He stood quickly and went around the table to Shiro, who pushed his chair back and readily accepted Keith into his lap. Keith kissed him and it tasted like maple syrup. 

“We’re both lucky,” Shiro said as elation spread through him, warm and bright. “I love you.”

Keith tucked his face into Shiro’s neck. “Can you be late for work?”

“Do you mind a cold breakfast?”

“No.”

“Then yes,” he said and stood, sweeping Keith up against his chest, and carrying him to the bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE END! Wow, what a ride, huh guys? I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did writing it! The ending is little meh, but I've always had problems coming up with a good ending lol. I loved writing these two so much! If you have any questions you can always give me a buzz over on my Tumblr, I'm always willing to talk about werewolf Shiro and Keith. Thank you all for your amazing comments and kudos, you have no idea how much it all means to me and how much it kept me going. Thank you so much! Please check out my original works if you liked my world of werewolves. xoxo

**Author's Note:**

> You check me out on Tumblr! https://softwolffeathers.tumblr.com/


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